CHANDIGARH — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Saturday organized a major demonstration in Chandigarh in solidarity with the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral roll manipulation. Several key AAP leaders, including Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, were detained by Chandigarh Police as party workers gathered to raise slogans of “Vote Choro, Kursi Chhodo” against the BJP-led Central government.
Addressing the demonstrators prior to his detention, Manish Sisodia accused the Modi administration of deploying heavy police personnel across Delhi and neighboring regions to prevent citizens from exercising their fundamental right to dissent. Sisodia alleged that widespread irregularities were carried out during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing voter deletions in key constituencies and arguing that public confidence in the electoral system requires the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
Joining the protest, Punjab Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemned the crackdown on young demonstrators, comparing the current political climate to an Emergency-like situation. Cheema asserted that the youth of Punjab would continue to stand firmly in defense of the Constitution, electoral integrity, and democratic rights. Both leaders reaffirmed AAP’s complete backing for the CJP’s movement, calling for enhanced transparency in electoral processes.
