New Delhi: In a statement issued on Wednesday (October 28), the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has extended its support to INDIA Bloc’s November 1 rally. The statement, released by CJP’s founder Abhijeet Dipke, said the support was for the fundamental principle of democracy that “people get to choose their government, not that the government gets to choose its voters”.It said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had, through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists “undermined” the principle of primacy of the people and therefore “lost the trust required to oversee free and fair elections”.Today, it said, the SIR has raised serious concerns about the removal of eligible voters from the electoral rolls and “growing fears of exclusion” and denial of the right to vote.“It is our responsibility to ensure that no eligible citizen is deprived of that right. The Cockroach Janta Party will therefore support all organisations fighting for free and fair elections in our country,” the statement said.The statement CJP issued refers to the first law minister and constitution writer Dr B.R. Ambedkar, saying that he ensured that every adult citizen gained the equal right to vote regardless of caste, religion, gender, education or economic background.“At a time when millions of Indians had never participated in an election, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Ambedkar and the other makers of our constitution placed their faith in the people. They understood that democracy could only succeed when every citizen had an equal say in deciding the country’s future,” said the statement.CJP reiterated its demand for Kumar’s resignation before faith in the right to vote could be restored.Dipke has not referred to attendance or other forms of participation with INDIA bloc members in the statement.There has been some uncertainty about the relationship between the CJP and the INDIA bloc in the past. In recent weeks, with protests against the CEC ongoing across the national capital and several cities, multiple INDIA bloc parties and leaders have supported CJP’s protests.At the same time, apart from the Trinamool Congress and Left parties, leaders and members of the Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Aam Aadmi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have showed up at CJP protests.The outfit has described itself as independent organisation, not associated with any established political parties.The Congress party, too, has supported multiple issues raised by CJP and its leaders. When it did not participate in CJP’s October 10 protest, saying it had its own nationwide agitation ongoing, it had sparked speculation of some kind of rift or distance.However, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had criticised the arrests of CJP activists, and he had invited Dipke to a meeting with opposition leaders and civil society representatives.On July 21, Gandhi had led an unprecedented protest along with leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi and other party MPs and leaders. They had staged a sit-in protest demanding Modi’s resignation outside the PM’s residence.Also read: At PM’s Door: How Opposition Kept Pressure on Modi Government After Police Action on ProtestersThis protest was against the brutality unleashed on students responding to CJP’s Sansad Chalo March were met with brute force by the Delhi Police on July 20.In the first week of September, the CJP had led a protest against Hindutva activist Swatantra Bhardwaj after he had confessed to assaulting Nishu Azad but whom the police were not arresting. Congress workers, including Indian Youth Congress Delhi president Akshay Lakra, and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad were also present at this protest.Gandhi had vociferously backed Azad and the demand for Bhardwaj’s arrest. As early as in June, opposition leaders from across the regional spectrum had taken note of the CJP protest demanding the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leaks.