Message From Shivaji Park: 'Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign!'

From meme-worthy poster carrying youngsters to an E20 petrol hater to the disenfranchised and youth with spine, the CJP's Shivaji Park rally on Friday saw them all. Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff reports.

Simar Singh, a GenZ protestor at Shivaji Park in Mumbai demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, was no celebrity but suddenly he turned into one on Friday.

Reason?

He was holding a placard stating, 'Dear Gyanu, Isteefa do jaanu (dear Gyanesh Kumar, please resign dear).'

The poster became a selfie point and everyone wanted to be photographed with it as a backdrop.

When asked what wrong did Gyanesh Kumar do?, Simar responds instantly, "Sahi kya kiya? (what did he do right?)"

After a little prodding he says, "Five of my family members are ousted from the SIR list and now they won't be able to vote in their life thanks to Gyanesh Kumar."

The Special Intensive Revision is an electoral exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar whereby every voter is being intensively verified, either with their own data or their parents' voting data, from the year 2002, when the previous SIR was conducted.

Under the latest SIR, till date 13.3 crore (133 million) voters have been deleted by the Election Commission of Indian across 20 states and Union territories.

And to protest against this deletion of voters, the Cockroach Janta Party organised a protest at Mumbai's Shivaji Park to demand Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

Thousands of people thronged the protest site in response to the call even though the Mumbai police had denied permission for the CJP to hold a protest at the venue.

A Novel Protest Amidst Restrictions

The protestors came up with a novel idea of bringing an open truck from which CJP leaders addressed the gathering.

The rally began sharp at 4 pm with slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai!' and 'Vande Mataram!' with around 5,000 people in attendance.

The Tricolour was in every hand, and seeing more people turning up for the protest the Mumbai police told shops and eateries near Shivaji Park to down their shutters for the evening.

The only respite for protestors was the small water bottles provided at the site with which many were seen quenching their thirst in the harsh October heat.

A huge poster of a cockroach leading Mahatma Gandhi was seen at many places on which it was written, 'Save Democracy, Chalo Mumbai, Friday, 2 October.'

Voices of Dissent And Disillusionment

One such protestor was Abhi Mehta, who left his home in Valsad, Gujarat, in the morning to celebrate Gandhi's birth anniversary at a school and headed straight to Shivaji Park for the CJP protest.

Like Simar, Abhi Mehta, 26, too became a star at Shivaji Park.

Every protestor wanted to grab his poster for a selfie.

"I never knew my poster will become such a hit. When I left my home in Valsad to reach Shivaji Park this morning everyone on the train too was admiring it," says Abhi.

Once a fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abhi is now a disillusioned man.

"Every Gujarati is a fan of his and many still are, but I am no longer a fan. I feel the right to dissent is a must in any democracy. And as a youngster of this country I feel we are losing our democratic voice under this regime," he says.

Asked how, when so many people have come out to protest against the regime, he can say that we are losing the right to dissent, Abhi quickly takes out his mobile phone to show a message he had received.

It was from a customer who buys organic farm products from him.

After seeing Abhi's WhatsApp DP, which is of him supporting the CJP, the customer said, 'I am not a supporter or hater of any political party or individual but just giving a suggestion though I know you didn't ask for it. Avoid such post which would affect your business because it doesn't matter, people support which political party they are blind to the wrong-doings of their leaders.'

The message added, 'So such post especially from a business such as yours wouldn't achieve anything but rather affect you negatively. I like your organic farm product, that is why I thought to just say it out.'

Abhi believes this is an indirect threat, "that if I need to do business then I must keep my political views private."

"I don't want this to happen in our country. People should be free to express their opinions even if they are running a business," he adds.

Asked what his parents said about his trip to Mumbai, Abhi reveals, "They don't know I am here. I came on my own though I informed my elder sister that I am coming here to join the protest."

Imran Khan, 26, a biker, had a non-SIR reason for coming to the protest. "My expensive motorcycle was damaged due to the ethanol mixing in petrol policy of this government. Therefore, I thought I must show solidarity to the CJP," he said.

Anurag Yadav, 19, is angry with Gyanesh Kumar because he did not get his voter ID card.

"I wanted to vote in the 2029 elections but due to SIR I did not get my voting card. My parents didn't keep their 2002 voting record and now even they cannot vote. I cannot believe I will grow up in an India where I will never be able to vote in my life," says Anurag.

Aastha Khatri, 23, came alone to the protest site because she felt she had a spine unlike many who choose to remain silent about the wrongdoings of the Election commission of India.

SEE: Aastha Khatri on why she joined the CJP protest at Shivaji Park. Video: Afsar Dayatar/Rediff

She came with a poster, 'Chai garam, system naram, ae Gyanu itne gande karam (tea so hot, heart so mild, O wise Gyanu, such dirty deeds)??'

"In two months you will see two resignations," says Aastha. "After Dharmendra Pradhan it is time for Gyanesh Kumar to go. Gyanesh Kumar has no option but to resign. And I am here at the CJP protest because I have the guts to say what is going wrong in our country."