India’s satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has threatened to launch nationwide protests if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday, escalating pressure over allegations concerning changes to the country’s voter lists.

CJP Founder, Abhijeet Dipke announced on Friday that the group would begin demonstrations in Mumbai on October 2 if Kumar remains in office, with plans to expand the protests to cities across India. “If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow, CJP will begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on 2 October, and take it to cities across India,” Dipke wrote on X. “This Gandhi Jayanti let’s pledge to save democracy,” he added, referring to October 2, which marks the birthday of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and is observed as Gandhi Jayanti in India.

The demand follows a newspaper report linking Kumar to concerns over changes to voter lists. On Thursday, the CJP gave the election Chief 48 hours to resign.

The group emerged on Instagram in May after India’s Chief Justice compared unemployed young Indians to “cockroaches” and “parasites.” The movement has since developed into a political protest group and has challenged the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues including electoral administration.

The latest dispute centres on allegations by opposition parties that voter lists have been manipulated in ways that could benefit Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Indian Express reported on Wednesday that two election commissioners had raised questions or expressed concerns to Kumar at least 14 times over a 10-month period, largely regarding the process for updating voter lists that began last year.

The reports have intensified criticism from opposition parties, which have previously accused the Election Commission of India of removing millions of voters from electoral rolls without adequate warning while adding names without sufficient verification.

The Election Commission has rejected the allegations, saying that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintaining that its actions have been lawful.

The BJP has also defended the commission, accusing opposition parties of conducting a smear campaign following their electoral defeats. “Neither the Election Commission of India nor any constitutional body in India is under dictatorial rule,” BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said on Wednesday.

The dispute has placed the Election Commission at the centre of a wider political confrontation over the integrity of India’s electoral process, with opposition parties demanding greater scrutiny of decisions affecting voter registration and electoral rolls.

Congress Demands Election Chief’s Removal and Arrest

India’s main opposition Congress party has separately stepped up pressure on Kumar, announcing protest marches at state election offices across the country.

The party is demanding Kumar’s arrest and removal from office, as well as an independent review of decisions and changes to voter lists made under his leadership.

The Congress protests come amid longstanding opposition allegations that the electoral rolls have been altered in ways that could benefit the BJP. The Election Commission has rejected the accusations and maintained that its procedures comply with the law.

The confrontation has also given the CJP an opportunity to broaden its campaign beyond its origins as a satirical social media movement. The group has previously mobilised supporters around political and governance issues.

CJP-led protests in July reportedly contributed to the resignation of Modi’s education minister following controversy over examination paper leaks, marking one of the government’s significant political setbacks since Modi came to power in 2014.

The latest threat therefore puts the satirical political movement at the centre of another dispute involving a major constitutional institution.

With the October 2 deadline approaching, the CJP has indicated that it intends to take its campaign beyond Mumbai if Kumar does not resign, potentially bringing the controversy over voter-list revisions and the Election Commission’s handling of the process into public demonstrations across India.