India's 'cockroaches' vs Election Commission: What you need to know ahead of CJP's October 10 protests

The Janta Party (CJP) has announced a nationwide protest in New Delhi on October 10, following their demand for the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, which has gone unheeded. Authorities have been cracking down on protesters who have assembled at Jantar Mantar, the historic observatory and designated protest site in the capital city.

The CJP, led by Abhijeet Dipke, has called for a large turnout, claiming that increased arrests will only encourage more people to join the demonstration. The stakes are high, as the credibility of the Election Commission, responsible for the world's largest elections, hangs in the balance. Kumar, appointed in 2025 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is facing intense scrutiny after an Indian Express investigation revealed that two former commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had raised multiple objections over 10 months to decisions related to voter registration, deletions, and restorations.

Kumar's appointment was controversial, as he was opposed by Rahul Gandhi, another member of the selection panel. The CJP's actions come amid ongoing protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, a nationwide re-examination of electoral rolls that aims to remove redundancies, such as deceased individuals, those who have emigrated, and duplicate entries.

However, critics argue that the process has gone far beyond its intended scope, resulting in the removal of over 130 million names from the rolls. The CJP, which has gained significant traction among young people, was born from a play on Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) name, gaining nearly 25 million Instagram followers.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders, including the Gandhis, have been arrested while attempting to join the protest, and the Delhi police have declared the march illegal, urging citizens to refrain from participating.