Sunil Sharma, Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, on Friday, 25 September 2026, pushed back sharply against the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)'s ultimatum to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar — demanding his resignation within 48 hours or threatening a nationwide agitation. Sharma said the episode reflected a broader pattern of forces working to weaken constitutional institutions and slow India's growth trajectory.

BJP's Core Allegation

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Sharma said he could not fully assess the CJP's goals given how recently it was formed, but raised pointed questions about the direction of its politics. 'Whether in name of secularism or the way the Communists expanded their political ground here, could they also be moving in the same direction?' he asked.

He went further, framing the ultimatum as part of a wider effort to undermine India's development. 'Our nation is growing at fast speed. Many powers are at play, working to reduce the pace of the Viksit Bharat. Owing to these powers, many tools are growing that are working against the nation — we have to counter these forces too,' Sharma said.

He also warned that when young people were used by external forces to destabilise or discredit constitutional bodies, the consequences fell not just on the nation but on the youth themselves. 'We should come together for the growth of the nation,' he added.

Other BJP Leaders Weigh In

BJP MP Ghulam Ali Khatana adopted a more measured tone, affirming that democratic protest was a legitimate right while arguing that institutions had been strengthened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'India is a very large democratic country. Everyone has the right to protest and put forward their views. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, democratic institutions and people's rights have been strengthened and empowered,' Khatana said.

West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh was considerably sharper, accusing certain elements of cycling through anti-institutional issues every few months for publicity. 'Every 4 to 6 months they bring out a new issue which is against the institutions of the country or against the country. This is nothing but a publicity stunt. The public is slowly realising these issues,' Ghosh said. He drew a direct line from what he called Gen Z protests to the current campaign against the CEC, describing them as 'conspiracies against the nation.'

BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa brought the charge directly to the Congress, arguing the party had no real agenda and was pivoting from blaming Electronic Voting Machines to targeting the Chief Election Commissioner directly. 'You are losing elections left and right; first they blamed the EVM, but when that didn't work, now you are directly blaming the Chief Election Commissioner,' Randhawa claimed.

What the CJP Said

The controversy was triggered on Thursday, 24 September, when CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, flanked by party spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, held a press conference issuing the 48-hour ultimatum to CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Dipke vowed to launch a nationwide agitation and sit on strike unless the Chief Election Commissioner steps down.

The CJP is a recently formed political outfit, and the explicit targeting of the country's top election official has drawn a rare, concerted response from multiple tiers of the ruling party.

Broader Context

This comes amid a period of heightened political friction around electoral administration in India. The Election Commission of India has faced scrutiny from opposition parties over several recent state polls, with critics — including the Congress — raising questions about EVM integrity and the functioning of the poll body. The BJP's collective response on Friday signals that it intends to frame any such criticism as an attack on constitutional institutions rather than legitimate democratic accountability.

How the CJP responds after the 48-hour window expires will determine whether this episode escalates into a wider political standoff around the poll panel.