Abhijeet Dipke Uses ‘Bharat Ratna’ Remark to Target CEC Gyanesh Kumar

CJP leader questions Election Commission’s functioning, demands CEC’s resignation and announces protests beginning October 2

MUMBAI, October 1, 2026: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has made a sarcastic reference to the Bharat Ratna while criticising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, amid an ongoing political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission of India.

Dipke, who has announced a protest campaign seeking Kumar’s resignation, said the Chief Election Commissioner should receive the country’s highest civilian honour, framing the remark as a criticism of what he described as Kumar’s role in electoral outcomes.

According to reports, Dipke said that if Kumar could help deliver electoral victories in states where, in his view, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not have achieved them, then he deserved the Bharat Ratna. His comments were made in the context of his broader criticism of the Election Commission.

Resignation demand remains at the centre of protest

The Bharat Ratna reference came alongside a renewed demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Dipke has announced that the CJP will begin a protest in Mumbai on October 2, with the campaign expected to expand to other parts of the country. He has also warned of a larger demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from the end of October if the resignation demand is not accepted.

The CJP has also called for a more transparent process for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and greater involvement of civil society in discussions concerning electoral institutions.

Mumbai protest planned for October 2

According to the organisation’s announced programme, the first major demonstration is scheduled at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on October 2.

Dipke has said the movement would continue until his demand for Kumar’s resignation is addressed. The CJP has indicated plans to take the campaign to several other states, including Goa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The organisation has also said that it will not join the Opposition’s proposed October 6 demonstration against the Election Commission, describing its own campaign as an independent movement.

Bharat Ratna remark echoes earlier political jibe

Dipke’s comments came shortly after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also made a sarcastic reference to the Bharat Ratna while commenting on the controversy surrounding Gyanesh Kumar.

Abdullah had questioned the suggestion of a Padma award for Kumar and said, sarcastically, that the honour should instead be elevated to the Bharat Ratna and that Kumar could even be considered for the presidency. His remarks were made amid criticism of the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Political dispute over Election Commission continues

The controversy surrounding Gyanesh Kumar has involved criticism from several political groups over the Election Commission’s functioning, including its handling of electoral-roll revision.

At the same time, the Election Commission has maintained that decisions of the three-member poll panel, including those related to the SIR exercise, were taken unanimously.

The latest statements from Dipke add another layer to the ongoing political debate, with the CJP now preparing for street protests while continuing to press for changes in the functioning and appointment process of the poll authority.

(SDNA)