Bollywood stars join Cockroach Janta Party protest in Mumbai

Bollywood actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, along with singer Vishal Dadlani, joined a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday.

The protest was held over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The CJP had announced a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ after Mumbai Police denied permission for the gathering. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke led the protest.

Naseeruddin Shah was among the first prominent figures to arrive at the venue. Shabana Azmi, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, Rekha Bhardwaj and Vishal Dadlani later joined the protest.

Dadlani had earlier expressed support for the protest on social media. At Shivaji Park, he joined the demonstrators in chanting ‘Go Gyan Go’ and reiterated his support for the demand for Kumar’s resignation.

Speaking at the protest, Dadlani said the movement would continue until Kumar resigns. He also said the event had helped him understand the significance of Gandhi Jayanti in a new way.

Shabana Azmi also spoke about citizens’ voting rights at the protest. She said a vote is a citizen’s voice and right and questioned the protection of those rights if names are removed from electoral rolls.

The CJP’s protest is part of a wider campaign over alleged irregularities in India’s electoral-roll revision process. The Election Commission and government have rejected allegations of wrongdoing.