YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was among the popular faces who joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s Bengaluru protest on Thursday. In his first remarks at the stir, he said he did not participate in the protest for ‘regime change", news agency PTI reported.
Slamming the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), he alleged that there is ‘zero transparency and zero accountability’ from the poll body. Track live updates on CJP's Bengaluru protest
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c“I have not come here for regime change,” Rathee said during the Cockcroach Janta Party (CJP)'s SIR protest at Bengaluru's Freedom Park. Actor Prakash Raj is also participating in the protest, led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke.
Deep Dive
What did Dhruv Rathee say at the CJP protest in Bengaluru?
Why did protesters in Bengaluru oppose the SIR exercise?
Who organised and attended the anti-SIR protest at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park?
Dipke shared a video from the Bengaluru where Rathee can be seen raising slogans of ‘vote chor gaddi chodh (vote thief, leave the throne)’ as the crowd repeats after him.
{{/usCountry}}Dipke shared a video from the Bengaluru where Rathee can be seen raising slogans of ‘vote chor gaddi chodh (vote thief, leave the throne)’ as the crowd repeats after him.
{{/usCountry}}Actor Prakash Raj at Bengaluru protest also demanded scrapping the SIR exercise, alleging it was not merely about deletion of votes, but an attack on the dignity and rights of citizens.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar is "acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Dipke announced Rathee and Raj's participation in the protest with a video that he shared on his social media handles on Wednesday.
Raj also made the announcement with a video on his X handle on Wednesday morning as he urged people to take part in the anti-CEC protest.
“Hi everyone. In the morning video, I had promised you that we will be announcing a very special guest. A voice with a spine. Who will be joining us at Freedom Park, Bengaluru. That's none other than Dhruv Rathee. Dhruv Rathee first time in Bengaluru! In support of scrap SIR," Raj said in the video.
He added, “Please come in large numbers! Stand with all the cockroaches who will be there. Aishe Ghosh will be there. Neha Bora will be there. All young organisations will be there. Civil Society will be there. And the victims of SIR from across the districts of Karnataka will be there. Let's come together to raise our voice in solidarity against this draconian SIR!”
CJP's Bengaluru protest
Thousands of CJP supporters and several student groups took part in the CJP's Bengaluru protest as anti-CEC protests are being held across the country, seeking Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the revision of voter lists that has removed over 130 million people from the rolls.
The demonstration in Bengaluru came a day after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained by police at a protest in New Delhi. Dramatic images of police dragging Gandhi into a vehicle spread widely on social media, adding momentum to the protests calling for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.