Mumbai: When police say no, you usually expect an empty ground. At Shivaji Park on Friday, it was the opposite. Thousands of young men and women gathered at the historic Mumbai ground on October 2 for a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The police had denied permission for the event, but the crowd came anyway.
Mumbai Police and security forces were deployed in large numbers around the central Mumbai venue. Entry routes from nearby Dadar railway station, the most natural way to reach the park, were barricaded. On paper, it looked like a ground that had been sealed off. In practice, protesters found their way in.
Abhijeet Dipke and other protesters took the stage as the ground filled up. What stood out was who was in the crowd: mostly young people, men and women, packing a venue that has traditionally been associated with veteran politicians and big party rallies. Their demand was a single, direct one: the Chief Election Commissioner should step down.
Shivaji Park is not just another open ground. It has hosted some of the city’s best-known political rallies over the decades, and a gathering here carries symbolic weight. For a protest to draw thousands to this spot despite a police refusal and a security cordon is a statement in itself, whatever one thinks of the demand.
The rally raises questions that will likely keep it in the news. Why was permission denied, and what grounds did the police cite? How will authorities respond to a gathering that went ahead without approval? Will the Election Commission or the government address the demand?
At the time of writing, there was no official response from the police or the Election Commission in the details available. We will update this post as reactions come in.
No Comment! Be the first one.