Mumbai: Mumbai Police have denied permission to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to hold a protest at Shivaji Park on October 2 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The decision comes after an investigation report published by The Indian Express. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the party would proceed with its planned protest and launch a “Jail Bharo Andolan” if the police attempted to stop them.
In a post on X, Dipke said Mumbai Police had denied permission for the protest and alleged that such a move was aimed at suppressing citizens’ voices. According to Dipke, the party had approached the Shivaji Park police station seeking permission to hold the protest at the Shivaji Park ground. Police denied the request, saying the ground was meant for sabhas, or gatherings, and not protests.
Dipke also said the police attempted to hand over a written rejection notice, but the party refused to accept it. The permission was denied after Dipke had announced a nationwide protest for October 2 following The Indian Express report.
“We will do a Jail Bharo Andolan if necessary. We will protest on October 2,” Dipke said.
In a letter issued on Sunday, police cited a 2013 Bombay High Court order restricting the use of Shivaji Park for purposes other than sports.
Police also stated that the organisers had not submitted the required permission from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for using the ground.
The police further cited the area’s residential and silence-zone status. According to the letter, the proposed protest could result in noise pollution and severe traffic congestion, potentially affecting access to several hospitals in the area.
