The Cockroach Janata Party held a Lehra Do Tiranga protest at Pune’s Dr B R Ambedkar statue on Saturday evening. Activists demanded the release of detained members and the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Niharika Bhosale said, "Protesting is our fundamental right. Nobody can dictate to us where to protest."
Several groups and citizens turned up for the Lehra Do Tiranga protest rally organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Dr B R Ambedkar statue near the Pune District Collectorate on Saturday evening.
Protestors demanded the immediate release of CJP activists detained by Delhi police, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and scrapping the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The protest was held peacefully between 4 pm and 6.30 pm. While a police force was deployed, no protester was detained.
CJP had set up a van stage vehicle at the protest site. Volunteers distributed Tricolour flags and placards with slogans to protestors. Songs like Sadda Haq, Aithe Rakh and Rang De Basanti were played on speakers.
Shouting slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Jay Bhim, Laal Salam, as activists sought protection of their right to protest peacefully against the government.
On October 13, CJP's Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were held by Delhi police after they allegedly climbed over police barricades to enter New Delhi's Jantar Mantar while carrying national flags and shouting slogans. Later, a court had remanded them to judicial custody for five days and they were jailed.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke then called for the Lehra Do Tiranga protest nationwide. Delhi police arrested Dipke, and he was released on conditional bail on Saturday at a time when demonstrations in support of him were underway in Pune.
Protestors cheered after getting information of Dipke's release and claimed that the government was crushing their basic constitutional rights to dissent peacefully.
Activist Supreeth Ravish of Bhagat Singh Jan Adhikar Yatra (BSJAY) said, "We want the SIR to be declared null and void. Also, re-election should be held in all states where SIR is conducted. It is a scam by the government that denies people their voting rights. Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested..."
Activist Niharika Bhosale, who was among the youngsters detained by the Madhya Pradesh (MP) police at Itarsi Railway Station before they could reach the CJP's Jantar Mantar protest on October 10, also participated in the agitation in Pune.
During her speech, Bhosale condemned the government for de-notifying Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. "Protesting is our fundamental right. Nobody can dictate to us where to protest. The government is not the country. It is we the people who make this country," she said. Chandan Salunkhe, an office bearer of Shiv Sena (UBT) said the agitations should continue till Ganyesh Kumar's resignation.
Protesters also demanded a ban on electronic voting machines (EVMs). The protest concluded with the National Anthem being sung.
A separate demonstration with a similar demand seeking Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and scrapping of SIR was held by activists of the Jawab Do movement on a footpath outside Chhatrapati Sambhaji garden on J M Road in Pune on Saturday evening.