Dadar Residents Oppose CJP Protest At Shivaji Park Prompting Heavy Police Deployment
Heavy police deployment was witnessed at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, on Friday after local residents voiced strong objections to a protest planned at the ground by the Cockroach Janata Party. The party and other civil society groups organised the demonstration against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision process, prompting neighbourhood concerns over noise pollution and public disruption.
The residents' resistance to the demonstration prompted a sarcastic reaction from lyricist Javed Akhtar, who questioned whether locals would display the same resistance toward major political events. In a post on social media platform X, Akhtar wrote that he was happy that some residents of Shivaji Park were becoming sensitive about noise pollution and asking authorities to cancel the protest. He added that he was sure they would raise the same objection with the same intensity whenever any political party in Maharashtra planned a rally at the ground.
Cockroach Janata Party spokesperson Saurav Das defended the agitation, calling Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar a traitor and asserting that citizens would back demands for his removal. Das stated that the mobilisation began in Mumbai on Friday and would grow into a large movement, recalling that youth across the nation had previously mobilised to seek the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. He urged residents of Mumbai to gather at Shivaji Park for the demonstration.
Local residents, however, voiced deep frustration over repeated public demonstrations at the popular recreational venue. Speaking to reporters, resident Sunil Bhagwat said regular walkers were facing frequent inconvenience due to recurrent protests. Bhagwat questioned who should be held accountable for the problems inflicted on ordinary citizens and whether constitutional duties towards others were being ignored.
Another resident, Ravindra, highlighted severe logistical problems during an earlier demonstration at the site. He stated that previous crowds had stretched up to the Dadar Shivaji Park station, alleging that liquor bottles were thrown by attendees. Ravindra added that two schools and a hospital are located in the immediate vicinity, noting that traffic ground to a halt around 5:00 PM during school dispersal hours in the past and questioning how such gatherings could be permitted without legal sanction.
