The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is set to hold a protest march and public meeting in Kochi on Saturday, opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke is expected to address the gathering, while actor Prakash Raj is also among those expected to participate in the programme.

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The protest, titled ‘Jantar Mantar at Kochi’, will begin with a march from Marine Drive at 3 pm. Participants will proceed to Rajendra Maidan, where a public meeting is scheduled to take place. The party is demanding the withdrawal of the SIR exercise and has also raised demands against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

CJP national leader Afreen Nawaz and the party’s South India in-charge Vijay Reddy Mallangi are also expected to attend. Organisers have said that young people from different parts of Kerala are likely to join the protest.

The Kochi programme comes amid the party’s ongoing agitation in Delhi. CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were arrested after entering Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a protest site by the Delhi Police. Abhijeet Dipke was also detained ahead of the Tiranga March announced by the party. CJP leaders have faced questioning by the Delhi Crime Branch in connection with protest-related cases.

Police arrangements are expected to be in place for Saturday’s event. According to the Police Special Branch, organisers had met the Kochi Deputy Commissioner of Police, and adequate personnel are expected to be deployed.

Prakash Raj meets protesting students at Kalady University

Ahead of the Kochi programme, actor Prakash Raj visited the protest venue at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady and interacted with students who have been suspended following a campus agitation. The students are protesting their suspension and their exclusion from the semester examinations.

The dispute dates back to August 13, when students staged a protest during a university Syndicate meeting. Their agitation was part of a larger campaign highlighting campus-related concerns.

The protest escalated after a street play featuring a mock funeral was staged on campus. While the university administration alleged that the performance targeted Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas, the students maintained that it symbolised the neglect of the Theatre Department and its lack of functioning equipment. The administration also accused protesters of manhandling the Vice-Chancellor and obstructing her vehicle. The students have disputed the allegations.

Following the incident, two FIRs were registered and the university suspended 16 students on September 1, pending disciplinary proceedings.

The students subsequently approached the Kerala High Court after their continued suspension affected their studies and examination eligibility. Although a single judge initially allowed them to appear for the November examinations, a Division Bench set aside that interim order on November 3.

Meanwhile, the university Syndicate offered to revoke the suspension of 12 students on condition that they submit written apologies. The students rejected the condition and decided to continue their protest through an indefinite relay hunger strike, demanding the unconditional revocation of the suspension of all 16 students.