Daijiworld Media Network - Kochi
Kochi, Nov 7: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday asserted that the campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls would continue until an independent and impartial electoral system was established.
Addressing the ‘Jantar Mantar at Kochi’ protest against the SIR exercise, Dipke said the government's handling of the agitation reflected what he described as the Centre's cowardice.
Earlier, speaking to reporters at Kochi airport, he said the campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would continue, alleging that elections conducted under his leadership could not be trusted and were being manipulated to benefit a particular political party.
He claimed that voter deletions were taking place across the country and that no state had remained untouched by the SIR exercise.
Questioning the appointment of a former Kerala Chief Electoral Officer as secretary to the Chief Minister, Dipke said such appointments raised concerns about the impartiality of the electoral system.
Actor Prakash Raj also joined the protest, which witnessed the participation of hundreds of activists, civil rights campaigners and citizens.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dipke said he could never stand alongside Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi or become greater than Nehru, irrespective of how many years he remained in power.
He further accused Modi of having “surrendered” before US President Donald Trump and “sold” India. Referring to allegations of foreign contributions against the CJP, he said, “Yet, the government accused the CJP of receiving foreign contributions.”
Dipke said he had gone to jail for hoisting the national flag and would continue to carry the Tricolour wherever he travelled in the country.
Predicting that Modi would lose power in 2029, he said the change would come through the electoral process.
Rejecting the description of CJP activists as anarchists, Dipke maintained that they were “Ambedkarites”.
He also claimed that he had addressed more than 50 press conferences in three months, while Prime Minister Modi had not faced the media even once.