NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday backed the INDIA bloc’s protest march to the Supreme Court, saying demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would continue across the country until he resigned.Dipke welcomed Monday’s INDIA bloc protest in Delhi, describing it as a “very large and important protest” and calling for more such demonstrations across the country.“It is necessary for the entire country to unite and hold such protests, especially the INDIA bloc, as it is in the opposition,” he said.“Such protests will continue across the country until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. We hope that this happens,” Dipke added.Reacting to the Congress Kerala unit’s now-deleted social media post demanding Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s resignation over his remarks that law and order was not the Supreme Court’s responsibility, Dipke said he did not want to comment on the controversy at this stage.Dipke, however, questioned the Supreme Court’s response to alleged irregularities involving the Election Commission, asking what action the court had taken against the poll body.“What action have they taken against the Election Commission? They have taken no action at all,” he said, referring to the court’s recent remarks on the issue.Citing the deletion of voters’ names in West Bengal, Dipke questioned the reasoning that those unable to vote could do so in a subsequent election.“Will the Supreme Court tell Narendra Modi the same thing, that he should not contest the election this time and can contest the next time? If they cannot say that, then on what basis are they telling voters this?” he asked.The remarks came amid a political row over the Congress Kerala unit’s post targeting the CJI. The post, which was later deleted, said: “Dear Surya Kant, if law and order is not your domain, resign now. We will find your replacement who can handle it.”
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The BJP criticised the Congress over the post, accusing it of attacking constitutional institutions. Union minister Kiren Rijiju said that while protest was every citizen’s right, “brazenly abusing” constitutional authorities was deplorable.BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused the Congress of seeking to create anarchy by undermining constitutional institutions. He also criticised the INDIA bloc’s march to the Supreme Court, alleging that the opposition was attempting to influence or intimidate the judiciary.Earlier, CJI Surya Kant had said that law and order was not his domain when asked about the restrictions imposed amid anti-CEC protests in Delhi. He also said the Supreme Court’s doors remained open to everyone, including ordinary citizens and lawmakers.
