CJP's Abhijeet Dipke says he spent night at airport on way back from Kochi protest

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday said he had to spend the night at the airport as he waited for a delayed connecting flight on his way back from the anti-SIR stir in Kochi.

Dipke attended the CJP's protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and alleged SIR irregularities in Kochi on Saturday. He recalled his return journey in response to a post by Nationalist Congress Party (SP) [NCP-SP] spokesperson Anish Gawande on X.

As Gawande spoke about his fondness for visiting airports on the festival of Diwali, the CJP founder said he was left "sleep-deprived" waiting at one recently.

"I love going to the airport on Diwali. It's always so lovely to see everyone dressed up in their festive finest and to see everyone smiling at each other. I've forgotten how fun it can be to walk through an airport when you're in a good mood!" Gawande had said.

Responding to the post, Dipke wrote: "Meanwhile, I spent the night at an airport, sleep-deprived and waiting for a delayed connecting flight. Just desperately trying to get home from the Kochi protest so my mom wouldn't kill me for missing Diwali. Such a lovely festive experience," the CJP founder posted on X.

Dipke also shared an Instagram story on Sunday, posting pictures from a flight and an auto ride, and wrote, "Delayed flights, connecting flights."

"Spiderman: Trying to get home on time for Diwali," he added.

Dipke also shared a picture from his flight on Instagram, wishing his followers a peaceful Diwali.

"Wish you all a 'kalesh-free' Diwali," he wrote.

CJP's 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' campaign

CJP's protest meeting on Saturday at Rajendra Maidan was attended by a large number of people, according to news agency PTI. Addressing a protest meeting organised as part of the CJP's 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' campaign, Dipke reiterated his demand for an independent and impartial electoral system.

Dipke was granted conditional bail last month, a day after he was briefly detained and arrested for trying to take out a Tiranga rally near Connaught Place in Delhi.

CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were also arrested around the same time after they breached Jantar Mantar, a de-notified protest site. Later, a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) ordered the release of the two leaders.

Referring to the police action, Dipke said he would continue carrying the Tricolour wherever he went.

SIR controversy and ECI's response

Earlier, a political row erupted after a report by The Indian Express stated that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times in 10 months to decisions and orders on SIR of electoral rolls that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

Following the report, the INDIA bloc and the CJP staged protests, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Meanwhile, the ECI told the Supreme Court that all decisions relating to the SIR of electoral rolls were taken unanimously by its three members, rejecting allegations that CEC Kumar acted unilaterally, as HT reported earlier.