Cockroach Janta Party Demands Election Commissioner's

The Cockroach Janta Party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party issued a 48-hour ultimatum around September 24, 2026, also calling for a freeze on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, restoration of earlier rolls, an independent inquiry, and repeal of the 2023 election commissioner appointment law. It warned of nationwide protests planned to begin on October 2, 2026, from Mumbai if its demands are not met.

Allegations of censorship and platform actions

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted on X on September 27, tagging Meta and the Internet Freedom Foundation. He accused Meta of removing hundreds of Instagram reels demanding Kumar's resignation that same day. Dipke claimed several accounts were banned at the request of the BJP-led government, calling the takedowns a violation of free speech.

One documented post involved a cartoon by political cartoonist Manjul about the Election Commission. Instagram's notice stated access was restricted in India pursuant to a notice from the Government of India or Law Enforcement and based on local laws. The cartoon remains visible outside the country. Dipke has not named the other affected accounts or shared Instagram's notices. A purported resignation letter from Kumar addressed to the President circulated on social media and was dismissed by the Election Commission as fake.

Context of electoral roll disputes and institutional tensions

The demand for Kumar's resignation stems from objections over the Special Intensive Revision process. Gyanesh Kumar has served as Chief Election Commissioner since February 19, 2025. He is the first person appointed under the 2023 law governing the selection of election commissioners.

The other two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions taken without their knowledge. These included decisions related to adding or deleting names from electoral rolls. The Election Commission stated that differing views are part of institutional deliberations and that its orders follow legal procedures.

Opposition leaders, including Congress figure Rahul Gandhi, have called for Kumar to step down. Congress and other opposition parties are preparing fresh parliamentary notices seeking his removal, though previous attempts have not succeeded. The BJP and state governments under its control have defended the Election Commission's work and described criticism as politically motivated. The political debate over the commission's functioning is expected to intensify.

Pattern of digital restrictions and legal challenges

This is the third round of takedowns tied to CJP since the group launched in May. X withheld CJP's account in India on May 21 under Section 69A of the IT Act. CJP challenged the order in the Delhi High Court. After Dipke appeared before the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's blocking committee, the High Court ordered the account unblocked on July 7 after the Centre said it had no objection.

After the Jantar Mantar protests in July, more than 30 posts and accounts were removed or geo-restricted across Instagram, X, Facebook and WhatsApp. These included a Maktoob Hindi reel that Meta blocked in India. Meta does not publish takedown orders, so users cannot tell which authority objected, under which provision, or how to challenge it. In CJP's case, the Centre withdrew its objection only after the group went to court.

Users can report restricted posts to a specified email address with a link, screenshot of notice, and date received for addition to a tracker. Meta has previously cited compliance with legal requests under India's IT Rules in cases involving restriction of protest-linked content. The company had not issued a specific public response to the latest accusation as of the morning of September 28, 2026. Kumar's term as Chief Election Commissioner is scheduled to continue until January 26, 2029.

The Cockroach Janta Party has warned of nationwide protests planned to begin on October 2, 2026, from Mumbai if its demands are not met.