Dhruv Rathee to join CJP's Bengaluru protest today, Prakash Raj warns Singham-style

Two days before its planned October 10 protest in New Delhi, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is holding a warm-up demonstration in Bengaluru on Thursday, with YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and actor Prakash Raj promising to join. In a video shared on Wednesday night, CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke introduced Rathee as a surprise guest ahead of the protest at Bengaluru's Freedom Park demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Rathee, who shared the Dipke video on social media, urged people to attend the protest in Bengaluru on Thursday and turn up at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday. Actor Prakash Raj, meanwhile, delivered a filmy warning aimed at CEC Gyanesh Kumar, borrowing a dialogue from the Singham franchise.

"Aali re aali, Gyanu, aata tujhi baari aali," he said. The planned demonstrations in Bengaluru are a part of the CJP's campaign demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and changes to the way the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls is being carried out. The Bengaluru protests will begin with a "People's Tribunal on the SIR" of electoral rolls. The CJP said that the people removed from voter lists would share their experiences.

The tribunal will be followed by a "Chappal protest", which the CJP said is being held in solidarity with women journalists who alleged sexual harassment by a Delhi Police officer. ABHIJEET DIPKE'S SURPRISE GUEST FOR BENGALURU PROTEST IS DHRUV RATHEEDipke, who reached Bengaluru ahead of Thursday's demonstration, teased viewers with a "surprise". "I am in Bangalore for tomorrow's protest, but before that, I have a surprise for you," he said in the video shared on Wednesday night. Rathee then appeared in the video, and described the agitation as "a fight to protect democracy".

In his signature YouTube video style, Rathee said, "Namaskar dosto, yeh loktantra ko bachane ki ladai hai... Let's meet tomorrow, October 8, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. And those living in Delhi, don't forget to come to Jantar Mantar on October 10." Actor Prakash Raj, who has been campaigning against SIR and backed CJP's Jantar Mantar protests against then Education Minister Jantar Mantar, added a cinematic flourish with his Singham-inspired dialogue targeting Gyanesh Kumar."

Aali re aali, Gyanu, aata tujhi baari aali (Now it's your turn, Gyanu)," the Singham actor said. The dialogue was originally delivered by Ajay Devgn as police officer Bajirao Singham in Rohit Shetty's 2011 film Singham. Prakash Raj played the villain Jaikant Shikre in the film. In another appeal, the actor called Dhruv Rathee "a person with a spine" and described SIR as "draconian". He urged civil society organisations, students and affected voters to join the Bengaluru demonstration. The Bengaluru protests are a precursor to a larger mobilisation at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 10.

The CJP has joined hands with student organisations, including AISA, AISF, SFI and AAP's student wing ASAP, for the New Delhi protest. The CJP is demanding Kumar's resignation, an independent enquiry into alleged electoral irregularities, suspension of SIR and restoration of earlier electoral rolls.- Ends(Written by: Sushim Mukul)