"Save Democracy! Cancel SIR": Abhijeet Dipke to join 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' protest against CEC Kumar

Dipke said he was in Kochi at the invitation of the local organisers and actor-activist Prakash Raj.

Speaking to the media after arriving at the airport, he described the demonstration as a "people's protest" and said the party's fight against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar would continue until India has an "independent and impartial election system".

"It is a people's protest, and I am here on the invitation of the organisers and on the invitation of Prakash Raj. As I said earlier, the fight against Gyanesh Kumar will continue until we get an independent and impartial election system in India," Dipke said.

Raising concerns over alleged voter deletions during the SIR exercise, Dipke claimed that more than 13 crore voters had been deleted from electoral rolls and alleged that the exercise was taking place across the country.

"More than 13 crore voters have been deleted. How can we expect that these elections are being conducted free and fair when you erase more than 13 crore voters, which makes up 13-14 per cent of the registered vote share? Votes are being deleted across the country. There is not even a single state where votes are not being deleted," he said.

Expressing confidence that a large number of young people from Keralam would participate in the demonstration, Dipke said the state accounted for the highest number of registered CJP members, according to the party's database.

"I am pretty sure the young population of Kerala, the youth of Kerala, would come today in large numbers because, for CJP, from our database, I can definitely tell you that the largest number of registered members of CJP are from Kerala," he added.

Titled "Jantar Mantar at Kochi", the protest will be held at Rajendra Maidan from 4 pm, the party announced in a post on X, urging people to join the demonstration under the slogan, "Save Democracy! Cancel SIR!"

CJP's media and South Zone lead Vijay Mallangi and national secretary Aafreen Nawaz will also participate in the protest.

The demonstration marks the party's first major move since its leaders were detained in Delhi on October 13 while attempting to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise.

Dipke, along with other CJP leaders, including Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, was detained by Delhi Police for allegedly attempting to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar without permission.

Earlier on Thursday, CJP activists Das and Ranka appeared at the Delhi Crime Branch office after being summoned in connection with the investigation into the October 13 Jantar Mantar trespassing case.(ANI)