MUMBAI: India’s Gen Z-led “Cockroach” protest movement has returned to the streets, demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in voter rolls.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as an online satirical movement before becoming a pressure group, organised a rally at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, with thousands of people gathering under the slogan “to save democracy”.
The party said the demonstration was the first in a series planned across India in October, culminating in a rally in the capital, Delhi.
Huge crowd has gathered on the streets of Mumbai to take on a Fascist, and they won’t back off!
They are here to save Gandhi’s India, and they mean it!
Happy Gandhi Jayanti, everyone. pic.twitter.com/PhXzCDm7hL
— Cockroach Janta Party – CJP (@Cockroachisback) October 2, 2026
Many participants were young supporters who had travelled from Mumbai’s suburbs and other places, including Nagpur. Police maintained a heavy presence at the gathering, where CJP leaders addressed supporters from a small stage mounted on a truck.
In Delhi, police detained hundreds of people who attempted to protest at Jantar Mantar, a central demonstration site where the CJP held its previous protest.
Voter Roll Dispute
The latest protests followed a report by The Indian Express last week that two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders they said had been issued without their knowledge.
The reported disagreements largely concerned the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a process to revise India’s electoral rolls that began last year.
The Election Commission says the exercise is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. It has so far removed 130 million names from voter lists.
Today is Gandhi Jayanti – Gandhi had given India independence leading a peaceful protest against British. On his birthday, Modi is arresting hundreds of Indians for peacefully protesting against his election commission. pic.twitter.com/hHQfSCH3kS
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) October 2, 2026
Opposition parties and activists allege that eligible voters may also have been removed and claim the process could favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected the accusations.
The Indian Express report also raised questions about the voter database’s integrity, changes to voter registration procedures and the security of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission defended its decision-making process, saying in a statement that “differing views” were part of the process and that decisions had been taken unanimously.
Opposition Pressure
The allegations have intensified calls from opposition leaders for Kumar to resign.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of “stealing votes from the opposition”, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for Kumar’s arrest.
वन टू थ्री फोर, नरेंद्र मोदी वोट चोर!
वन टू थ्री फोर, नरेंद्र मोदी वोट चोर!
वन टू थ्री फोर, नरेंद्र मोदी वोट चोर!
वन टू थ्री फोर, नरेंद्र मोदी वोट चोर! pic.twitter.com/xanXT10VYp— Gen-Z of India (@GenZ_of_India_) October 3, 2026
The INDIA opposition alliance, which includes nearly two dozen parties, has also announced plans for demonstrations. Its MPs intend to march to the Election Commission’s office in Delhi on 6 October.
The CJP previously gained national attention through protests over education reforms. Its campaign culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in July, according to earlier reports.
Kumar and the Election Commission have not publicly responded to the CJP’s latest demand for his resignation or the allegations of vote manipulation. The BBC said it had sought comment.
