The Mumbai Police, on Sunday, clarified that it is not empowered to grant permission for a public gathering at Shivaji Park after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder, Abhijeet Dipke, alleged that the police had denied permission for the proposed protest on October 2 against thee Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Dipke stated in a post on X that Mumbai Police had denied permission for the protest and said that if the right to protest was denied, the CJP would launch a "Jail Bharo Andolan" in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2.
Mumbai Police has also denied permission for our protest on 2nd October.
Such tactics to suppress citizens' voices are unacceptable. If we are denied the right to protest, CJP will launch a Jail Bharo Andolan in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti.#SaveDemocracyAlso Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) September 27, 2026
In a post on X, Mumbai Police clarified and said that it was not empowered to grant permission for public gatherings under an existing Bombay High Court order and subsequent Maharashtra government guidelines. The police further stated that this had been explained to the applicant, Ajinkya Shinde, and he was also asked to identify an alternative venue in Mumbai and apply for permission to protest there, stating that such an application would be considered according to the applicable rules and guidelines.
Permission has been denied because Mumbai Police is not empowered to grant permission for any gathering at Shivaji Park in accordance with the judgement of Hon. High Court in PIL 116/2009 dated 04/01/2013 and subsequent order of Government of Maharashtra dated 20/01/16. It has… https://t.co/cCFPcfo3Ws pic.twitter.com/xTOhKPyyuq
— मुंबई पोलीस Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) September 27, 2026
ALSO READ: CJP Says Mumbai Police Denied October 2 Protest March, Warns Of 'Jail Bharo' Andolan
Why Was Shivaji Park An Issue?
According to police communication, several other factors were cited as reasons for the denial of permission including:
- The absence of the required Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) permission for use of the ground
- Shivaji Park's status as a designated silence zone
- Concerns about noise pollution as the area is surrounded by residential premises
- The possibility of severe traffic congestion
- Possible obstruction to the movement of emergency vehicles, including access to hospitals nearby
What Was The Planned Protest About?
The CJP has planned a protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Demanding resignation of Kumar, CJP said that it has planned to begin a nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2 if he did not step down by September 26
The planned protest comes amid row over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on multiple occasions over decisions and procedures connected with the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has however rejected any claims of substantive disagreement within the Commission over its SIR decisions.
After Mumbai Police's clarification, Dipke questioned in another post on X how Eknath Shinde was granted permission for a speech at Shivaji Park if the police was bound by government directives.
Acha… how was Eknath Shinde granted the permission then? https://t.co/14hbOMW8J1 pic.twitter.com/pcXVtmPVPQ
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) September 27, 2026
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