YouTuber Dhruv Rathee joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Bengaluru on Thursday, calling for greater transparency and accountability from the Election Commission.
Dhruv Rathee addressed protesters at Freedom Park, where the CJP organised a ‘People’s Tribunal’ over alleged deletions of names from Karnataka’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Clarifying his reason for joining the demonstration, Rathee said, “I have not come here for regime change.” He said the protest was focused on concerns surrounding the Election Commission and the electoral roll revision exercise, rather than seeking a change of government.
Targeting the poll body, Dhruv Rathee said there was “zero transparency, zero accountability from EC”. The protest brought together CJP supporters, students, women and people who claimed they had been affected by the SIR exercise. Protesters demanded Kumar’s resignation and raised slogans against alleged voter deletions.
Earlier, Dhruv Rathee had announced his participation in the Bengaluru protest in a video shared on social media, saying, “Namaskar dosto, yeh loktantra ko bachane ki ladaai hai. Kal, 8th October ko Bengaluru mein milte hain, Freedom Park mein.”
He also appealed to people in Delhi to join the CJP’s planned October 10 demonstration at Jantar Mantar, saying: “Jo log Delhi mein reh rahe ho, 10th October ko Delhi mein Jantar Mantar par aana mat bhoolna.” Rathee’s appearance came alongside actor-activist Prakash Raj, who had announced him as the protest’s “special guest”. Dhruv Rathee had also posted ahead of the event, “Gyanesh, it’s done bro. Jai Hind.”
The Bengaluru protest is part of CJP’s wider campaign demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that differences in internal deliberations are normal and has rejected allegations of electoral manipulation.
