Veteran actor Shabana Azmi joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Jail Bharo protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday. Addressing the gathering, she spoke about the right to vote and backed the organisation’s demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Mumbai gathering also saw several familiar names from the film and music industry, including Naseeruddin Shah, Vishal Dadlani, Vishal Bhardwaj and Rekha Bhardwaj. If anyone tries to take away our right to vote, we will do what is necessary through democratic means. Since I am from Mumbai, seeing all of you present here in such large numbers brings me immense happiness. Shabana was not the only member of the film industry at the gathering. Vishal Dadlani, filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj and singer Rekha Bhardwaj were also present. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah was seen at the protest as well, where he met CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. A video shared by Dipke shows him embracing Shah. I had no idea that you were here. I am a huge fan of yours. Whatever you are doing, please continue doing that. Actor Prakash Raj also voiced his support through a video message. But as we celebrate, we should not forget there are certain goons who are celebrating Godse who killed our Mahatma. And these are these same goons who are trying to kill our citizenship, our democracy through SIR. But the youth of this country, the civil society, the cockroaches will not let this happen.”
The actor, who had earlier taken part in a students’ protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, told the crowd that people should protest through democratic means if their names are removed from electoral rolls. She later addressed those gathered at Shivaji Park in Mumbai and said, “A very, very warm greeting to all of you. During their interaction, Shah told him, “I want to thank you,” to which Dipke responded, “Sir, I am a huge fan. He then said, “I knew you were here. He said, “Happy Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti.
Speaking to the reporters before reaching the stage on Friday evening, Shabana said, “Voting is our right.
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke addressed the protesters and criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government. He also challenged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to send the protesters to jail. Thousands of people gathered at the venue to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, despite police denying permission for the protest. Members of student groups including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF) joined the protest as well. Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah were seen among the protesters, while Vishal had also voiced his support for the demonstration ahead of Friday’s event. Abhijeet Dipke shared the video of Naseeruddin hugging him. In the video shared by the CJP founder, the veteran actor is heard saying, “Main tumhje shukriya kehna chahta hoon. (I would like to thank you).
He said the group had been forced to organise another protest within two months of its earlier agitation at Jantar Mantar over the NEET leak issue. Earlier reporting noted: Shabana Azmi, who was also present during the protests in Delhi a few months ago amid NEET leak issue, said that protest is our right and people must protest when their names are removed from the electoral rolls.
Earlier reporting noted: The presence of the three celebrities drew attention to the gathering. Earlier reporting noted: Naseeruddin Shah hugs Cockroach Janta Party’s Abhijeet Dipke at Shivaji Park protest; Vishal Dadlani joins to demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar Veteran actors Shabana Azmi , Naseeruddin Shah and singer and music composer Vishal Dadlani were among those who attended the Cockroach Janta Party ’s (CJP) protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday.
