The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) held separate protests in Bengaluru over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and women’s safety, with the two demonstrations raising distinct sets of demands.

One protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. A separate “chappal protest” focused on violence against women, equal rights and the demand for greater safety.

Here are the key demands raised by CJP in the two protests.

What is CJP demanding over SIR?

At the SIR-focused protest, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke joined YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and actor-activist Prakash Raj, along with protesters from different sections of society.

The protesters demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for criminal proceedings against him. They also demanded an answer to what they described as the question of who ordered the alleged “stealing” of votes.

CJP also called for the immediate suspension of upcoming elections and a freeze on the SIR exercise.

Another key demand was the restoration of the January 2025 voter list. The protesters also sought an independent inquiry commission to investigate the decision-making behind the SIR process.

The group further demanded that the Supreme Court take custody of all SIR-related files, arguing that this would ensure that records and evidence are preserved and cannot later be lost.

CJP also called for the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners. It demanded a new law, prepared with active participation from civil society, which it said should help restore public confidence in the appointment process.

Posters at the Freedom Park protest carried slogans such as “Error 404 - Name Not Found”, “It's done bro, resign sir” and “Don't erase us, hear us.”

What was the CJP ‘chappal protest’ about?

The separate chappal protest focused on women's safety and equal rights rather than the specific demands raised at the SIR demonstration.

Women protesters called for the right to live safely and exercise their rights without fear. They also said protecting women from violence should be treated as a responsibility of the government.

The chappal was used as a symbol of resistance. 

The protesters expressed solidarity with women who were allegedly assaulted during a recent agitation in Delhi over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

Nivedita, a CJP volunteer, told PTI that the protest was intended to stand with women facing different forms of violence, including child marriage, rape, murder and dowry-related crimes.

“We are human and deserve equal rights,” she said, adding that women should not be treated as either second-class citizens or goddesses.

Sanah, a lawyer who joined the protest, said her experiences had exposed her to the effects of a patriarchal society. She called for women to speak up against injustice and work towards ending violence against women.

Two Bengaluru protests, different demands

Although both demonstrations were associated with CJP, they focused on different issues.

The SIR protest at Freedom Park centred on Gyanesh Kumar, the Election Commission, the SIR exercise, the voter list and the law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners.

The chappal protest, meanwhile, focused on women's safety, equal rights and violence against women.

With PTI inputs