CJP Announces Anti-SIR Protest in Kochi on November 7

CJP Announces Anti-SIR Protest in Kochi on November 7

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Anti-SIR Protest Shifts to Kochi as CJP Defies Delhi Crackdown

Just weeks after a dramatic police crackdown in Delhi, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced its next major move: a high-profile protest titled “Jantar Mantar at Kochi” in Kerala on November 7. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, titled “Jantar Mantar at Kochi”, to be held at Rajendra Maidan from 4 PM on November 7.

The CJP’s decision to move its protest to Kochi is a direct response to the events of October 13, when Delhi police detained the group’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and other leaders for attempting to stage an unauthorized demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The government subsequently denotified the iconic protest site, a move that the CJP frames as an attack on democratic dissent. The Kochi protest, with its slogan “Save Democracy! Cancel SIR!”, is being framed as a reclaiming of that right to dissent, this time from a new city and with a new cast of leaders.

The Kochi Showdown: Who’s in Charge?

While Dipke will attend the Kochi protest, his presence comes with significant legal constraints. Following his arrest last month, he was released by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on a conditional bail bond that requires him to ensure no breach of peace for one year. This legal cloud hangs over the demonstration. Leading the charge in Kochi will be Vijay Mallangi, the group’s south zone lead, and national secretary Aafreen Nawaz. The choice of Kochi is not random; it places the protest in a state directly impacted by the voter roll revision that the CJP seeks to overturn. The Economic Times notes that the final voter roll for Kerala, published on February 21, saw around nine lakh names removed, leaving over 2.69 crore voters—a figure that fuels the opposition’s fire.

The CJP’s messaging is sharp and focused. Their posters, as seen on X, carry the demands: “Remove Gyanesh Kumar | Cancel SIR.” The group’s resolve was on display when other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, breached the newly denotified Jantar Mantar and waved the national flag, an act for which they were arrested and spent a week in jail before being released on the condition they would not protest at Jantar Mantar again.

A National Strategy of Resistance

The Kochi protest is the latest chapter in a nationwide campaign the CJP has dubbed “Let’s Create Jantar Mantar Across the Country.” As reported by The Economic Times, this initiative began in Kochi itself on October 16 at Vanchi Square near the High Court junction, with the CJP joining forces with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) for what was intended as an ongoing series of local demonstrations. The move to a formal, named event like “Jantar Mantar at Kochi” suggests a desire to centralize and amplify their message beyond small, scattered gatherings.

‘Jantar Mantar At Kochi’: CJP Announces Anti-SIR Protest On Nov 7; Abhijeet Dipke To Attend

The CJP’s strategy involves a delicate balancing act. While they extended their support to the INDIA bloc’s massive march in Delhi on November 1, they notably did not participate in the Rahul Gandhi-led rally at Ramlila Maidan. Dipke wrote in a post on X, “You cannot denotify the resistance,” a statement that encapsulates the group’s defiant stance against the government’s attempts to restrict public assembly.

The SIR Controversy: More Than Just a Number Game

At the heart of the CJP’s campaign is the SIR exercise, a process the Election Commission says is essential for cleaning up the voter rolls. The commission announced the second phase of SIR in October 2025, covering 12 states and union territories, including Kerala. However, the sheer scale of the deletions—nearly nine lakh names in Kerala alone—has raised alarms among opposition parties, who cite reported differences within the three-member Commission. The Congress, for instance, has publicly demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s removal. A public interest litigation has also been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking action against the CEC and a probe into the deletion of about 13 crore voters nationwide.

CJP Announces Anti-SIR Protest in Kochi on November 7
Photo: The Times of India

The CJP has seized on this controversy, giving the CEC a 48-hour ultimatum that included demands for his resignation, a halt to SIR, and the restoration of the January 2025 voter rolls. The group’s argument is that the revision process is fundamentally flawed and has disenfranchised millions.

The government and the Election Commission maintain that all decisions on SIR were unanimous and necessary for the integrity of the electoral process. The Economic Times reports that the Commission stated its decisions were unanimous, pushing back against claims of internal discord.

Activists Face Legal Constraints in Kochi Protest

The road to the Kochi protest is paved with legal hurdles. As Asianet Newsable reports, CJP activists Das and Ranka recently appeared at the Delhi Crime Branch office after being summoned in connection with the October 13 trespassing case. The court directed them to furnish personal and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each until the conclusion of the enquiry, and they have undertaken not to call for protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is re-notified. These legal constraints make the Kochi protest a critical test of their ability to operate outside of Delhi’s immediate jurisdiction.

The protest will be held on November 7. While the CJP vows to “Save Democracy!”

CJP Announces 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' Anti-SIR Protest in Kerala! 📢
CJP Protest: CJP Announces Anti-SIR Stir On Nov 7, Abhijeet Dipke To Attend

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