CJP to hold Kochi protest against SIR on November 7, its first big campaign in South India

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has announced a protest in Kochi, Kerala, on November 7 against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The date falls a day before Diwali. The CJP demands that the revision process be cancelled, and says it has drawn the attention of the Centre and the whole country to the demand.

The CJP made the announcement in a post on the social media platform X. According to the post, the protest is scheduled for 4 pm at Rajendra Maidan in Kochi. It is being organised along the lines of the demonstration held at Jantar Mantar. CJP founder Abhijit Dipke will take part.

The CJP's South regional head Vijay Mallangi and national secretary Afreen Nawaz will also be present at the Kochi event. It is the CJP's first major campaign in South India. In its post on X, the CJP appealed to people in Kerala: "Save democracy! Cancel SIR! Join us - November 7, 4 pm, Rajendra Maidan, Kochi."

Earlier, CJP leaders faced detention and arrest in Delhi. This happened during an attempt to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR process. Last month Delhi Police detained several CJP leaders, including Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurabh Das. They had tried to protest against Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar without the required permission. The government subsequently withdrew Jantar Mantar's status as a protest site.

Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka were arrested by Delhi Police last month. They were accused of entering Jantar Mantar without permission and hoisting the national flag. After a week in jail they were released against a written undertaking. The condition of release was that they would not hold any further protest there until Jantar Mantar was officially declared a designated protest site.

Separately, Abhijit Dipke, who had announced a "Lehra Do Tiranga" event at the Central Park in Connaught Place last month, was arrested by Delhi Police before the protest. He was later released on conditional bail by the SEM. The government stated that bail was granted on the condition that he would not take part in any activity that disturbs the peace for the next one year.

After these events, the CJP on November 1 extended support in Delhi to the INDIA bloc's front. However, it did not take part in the rally at Ramlila Maidan led by Rahul Gandhi. The CJP is now preparing to begin a new protest in Kochi, Kerala, which the source describes as a Congress-ruled state.