Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday, 7 November reaffirmed that the campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls would not be abandoned, speaking at the 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' protest in Kochi, Kerala. The demonstration drew hundreds of activists, civil rights campaigners and ordinary citizens, with actor Prakash Raj also joining the gathering.

Key Declarations at the Protest

Addressing the crowd, Dipke alleged that the Centre's response to the agitation revealed what he described as the government's cowardice. He further stated that the campaign targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would persist until an independent and impartial electoral system was in place, claiming that elections conducted under the present CEC could not be trusted and were allegedly being skewed to favour a single political party.

Dipke also alleged that voter deletions were occurring across the country and that no state had been spared by the SIR exercise. He questioned the appointment of a former Kerala Chief Electoral Officer as secretary to the Chief Minister, arguing that such moves raised legitimate doubts about the neutrality of the electoral process.

Sharp Attacks on PM Modi

Dipke trained his sharpest remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the PM could never stand alongside Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi and would not surpass Nehru's legacy regardless of how long he remained in power. He also alleged that Modi had 'surrendered' before US President Donald Trump and had 'sold' India — adding pointedly that the same government had accused the CJP of receiving foreign contributions.

Predicting that Prime Minister Modi would lose power in 2029, Dipke insisted the transition would come through democratic elections. He also noted that he had addressed more than 50 press conferences in three months, contrasting this with what he characterised as the PM's unwillingness to face the media directly.

Personal Narrative and Identity

Dipke recounted that he had been jailed for hoisting the national flag and pledged to carry the Tricolour at every public engagement across the country. Rejecting characterisations of CJP activists as anarchists, he described the party's ideological identity as Ambedkarite.

Background and Context

The SIR process, overseen by the Election Commission of India (ECI), has drawn criticism from several opposition groups and civil society organisations who allege that the exercise disproportionately removes valid voters from electoral rolls. The protest in Kochi is part of a wider national mobilisation against the revision drive. This comes amid ongoing friction between sections of the opposition and the ECI over the perceived independence of the electoral machinery ahead of future electoral cycles.