Modi govt waging war against citizens to protect CEC: Abhijeet Dipke

• CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke accused the Modi government of targeting citizens to protect CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging Delhi Police assaulted protesters, journalists and MPs

• Dipke and two CJP leaders were detained at Delhi airport ahead of Saturday’s Jantar Mantar protest and released on Sunday under a condition to maintain peace for a year

• The CJP and Opposition parties are demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of waging a “war” against citizens to protect chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, amid mounting demands for the poll body's chief to resign over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Dipke made the remarks in a post on X, alleging that protesters, journalists and Members of Parliament were being assaulted by Delhi Police during the ongoing demonstrations against Kumar. He questioned why the chief election commissioner was being given such importance by the government.

“Youth are being assaulted, journalists are being assaulted, even MPs are being assaulted by Delhi Police. What makes Gyanesh Kumar so indispensable to Modi that he is willing to wage war against everyone just to protect him?” Dipke wrote.

His remarks come amid escalating political tensions in the national capital, where the CJP and several Opposition parties have been protesting against the Election Commission's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The CJP convenor reached his native village, Santuk Pimpri, in Maharashtra's Hingoli district, late on Sunday night. He subsequently visited the site where his grandmother's final rites had been performed.

His return to the village came after his detention in Delhi ahead of the Opposition-backed protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.

Dipke, along with CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, was placed under preventive arrest at Delhi airport ahead of the demonstration. The arrests came as political leaders and activists prepared to intensify their agitation over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.

The three leaders were released on Sunday on the condition that they would not “breach peace” for a period of one year, according to the account provided.

The detention and subsequent release have added to the political controversy surrounding the protests, with Dipke alleging excessive use of force against demonstrators and other individuals in the capital.

The CJP and other Opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists.

The SIR exercise has emerged as a major point of contention between the Opposition and the Election Commission, with political parties raising concerns about the electoral roll revision process and demanding greater accountability and transparency.

The protests have also drawn attention to the treatment of demonstrators and political leaders by law enforcement agencies in Delhi.

Dipke's latest remarks intensify the criticism directed at the Centre over its handling of the dispute. By questioning the government's support for Kumar, the CJP convenor has framed the controversy as a broader issue involving democratic rights, the conduct of the police and the independence of electoral institutions.

The allegations made by Dipke remain his claims, while the central dispute continues to revolve around the Opposition's objections to the electoral roll revision exercise and its demand for Kumar's resignation.

With Opposition parties continuing to press for accountability, the controversy over the SIR process and the role of the Election Commission remains a significant source of political tension.

With PTI inputs