NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janata Party on Sunday reacted to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s joint protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with CJP leader Saurav Das saying, “Gyanu, it’s done bro!”The joint protest march, which was held towards the BMC headquarters, saw Uddhav and Raj Thackeray target Gyanesh Kumar and question the functioning of the Election Commission. The two leaders have opposed the SIR exercise and demanded that it be cancelled in Maharashtra.Uddhav Thackeray said the protest was aimed at defending voters’ rights and democracy. “We are standing here today to overthrow the dictator,” he said, while claiming that names of “13 crore people” had been deleted from electoral rolls across the country. He also questioned the process through which election commissioners are appointed and asked, “The first question is how was Gyanesh Kumar appointed?”Uddhav further accused the BJP of “vote chori”, saying, “Earlier, it was India Against Corruption, and now it is India Against Vote Chors.” He also questioned the Centre’s argument over illegal immigrants and asked how many Bangladeshis had actually been detected through the SIR process.Raj Thackeray, meanwhile, called for the entire SIR exercise in Maharashtra to be cancelled. “Our demand is that the entire SIR conducted in Maharashtra should be cancelled,” he said. He alleged that 40 to 60 lakh voters were added during the Assembly elections and claimed that two crore voters were now being removed through SIR.“I appeal to all political parties to go to Delhi and demand that the SIR should be cancelled. Voting machines should be discontinued, and elections should be conducted using ballot papers,” Raj said.CJP leader Dipke also reacted to the Mumbai protest, writing: “Mumbai is out on the streets again for free and fair elections! Solidarity with all the protestors. All Indians need to come together. It’s now or never!” He added, “PS: Don’t ask how protests are being allowed in Mumbai.
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There’s big cultural difference between MH Police & Delhi Police.”The reaction came as CJP separately held a protest outside the Parliament Street police station in Delhi over allegations of sexual harassment made by three women journalists against police personnel during an October 3 protest against Gyanesh Kumar.
