If the Chief Election Commissioner does not resign, the chanting will be repeated, CJP warns
Photo: Collected
A political storm has erupted across neighboring India following an investigative report by the all-India English daily newspaper The Indian Express, which revealed that two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, raised objections 14 times over the past 10 months against the unilateral decisions of India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.
In response to the report, the political party Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum for India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, to step down. Speaking at a press conference in India's capital, New Delhi, on Thursday, three top CJP leaders—Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Sourav Das—warned that a nationwide movement will be launched if Kumar fails to resign within the stipulated timeframe. Invoking past protests at Jantar Mantar, CJP leaders stated they would not relent until Kumar's resignation is secured, with Dipke labeling the Chief Election Commissioner as the biggest traitor to the country and a grave threat to democracy.
The demand for resignation was echoed by India's Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Gandhi described Gyanesh Kumar as a traitor and destroyer of democracy, asserting that the Congress party will not permit the destruction of Indian democracy. He claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah meticulously engineered vote manipulation, pointing out that legislation was first enacted to provide legal protection to the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners before alleged vote theft began across various states.
To substantiate his allegations, Gandhi played video speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in which they claimed they would remain in power for 30 years and secure over 400 seats in the 2024 elections. Citing historical precedent, Gandhi noted that even Indira Gandhi faced fierce anti-incumbency sentiment following her historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, arguing that Modi and Shah have evaded similar political realities in a manner akin to non-democratic nations like North Korea. Gandhi further alleged that stolen votes lead to stolen laws and compromised constitutional institutions, displaying a letter to prove he had previously opposed Kumar's appointment—an objection he claims was ignored by the Prime Minister and Home Minister.
Gandhi maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah must be brought under investigation as the primary masterminds behind the conspiracy, adding that Gyanesh Kumar should turn state's witness.
Meanwhile, outlining a broader set of demands during Thursday's packed press conference in New Delhi, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke called for criminal charges to be filed against Gyanesh Kumar to uncover the invisible forces directing his actions. The CJP also demanded an immediate halt to the SIR process, insisting that elections be conducted based on the 2025 voter list. Additionally, the party called for amendments to the 2023 law governing the appointment of election commissioners to ensure neutrality, urged the formation of an independent investigation committee to review the SIR process, and appealed for intervention by India's Supreme Court. Anti-BJP opposition forces are now contemplating initiating impeachment proceedings against the Chief Election Commissioner.
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