India
oi-Prakash KL
Ashutosh Ranka, Co-Convener of the CJP, said the party is prepared to go to jail if it helps restore the votes of 13 crore people who were reportedly removed during the SIR process.
His comments came before a protest at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.
CJP Co-Convener Ashutosh Ranka stated readiness to go to jail to restore 13 crore voters removed during the SIR process and ensure accountability for Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, ahead of a planned protest in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park.
Speaking to IANS, Ranka said, “We have been ready since June 3. My appointment was made on June 3, and I have been ready ever since. If going to jail can bring back the votes of 13 crore people, and if going to jail can ensure accountability for Gyanesh Kumar, then we are absolutely ready to go to jail. Gyanesh Kumar is the biggest traitor in this country. He is a traitor; he is responsible for 13 crore voters being struck off the voter list. No one has committed a greater betrayal in this country so far.”
He added, “Gyanesh Kumar has betrayed the people of this country and taken away the constitutional right to vote from 13 crore people, and we are fighting here for the rights of those 13 crore people. Today, I expect thousands of people to be present in Mumbai, and a huge crowd is expected to gather here. We travelled across Mumbai over the past two days, and there is a lot of enthusiasm among people. They are looking at this as a festival and as a decisive fight to save our democracy. So, I think Mumbai will be at its best today.”
Mumbai, Maharashtra: CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka says, “We have been ready since June 3. My appointment was made on June 3, and I have been ready ever since. If going to jail can bring back the votes of 13 crore people, and if going to jail can ensure accountability for… pic.twitter.com/ICMyWpENXP
— IANS (@ians_india) October 2, 2026
The protest is set for 4 pm, though police have not granted permission. Authorities have nonetheless fortified the area, placing barricades at the main entrances to Shivaji Park and stationing police, railway, and women’s security personnel around the ground and Dadar station to keep order and manage traffic. Some residents nearby have objected, saying the gathering will disrupt the neighbourhood.
CJP convenor Abhjeet Dipke earlier paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in south Mumbai on the leader’s birth anniversary.
The party’s demands include transparency in how the Chief Election Commissioner is appointed and a freeze on the 2025 voter list. Its call for Kumar’s resignation follows reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times in 10 months to SIR-related decisions, with some objections claiming orders were passed without their knowledge.
The Election Commission has said the three members made those decisions unanimously.
