Shabana Azmi backs CJP’s Mumbai protest; says, “We | Indian Movie News
Shabana Azmi joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, October 2. The protest was organised over considerations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the organisation demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The gathering also noticed the participation of a number of personalities from the movie and music industries, including Naseeruddin Shah, Vishal Dadlani, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj and singer Rekha Bhardwaj.
Speaking to reporters before taking the stage, Shabana highlighted the significance of voting rights and said that any attempt to take away that proper needs to be met through democratic means. She said, “Voting is our right. If anyone tries to take away our right to vote, we will do what is necessary through democratic means.”
Addressing the gathering later, the actor spoke about the significance of residents raising their voices when their names are eliminated from electoral rolls. She said, “A very, very warm greeting to all of you. Since I am from Mumbai, seeing all of you present here in such large numbers brings me immense happiness.”
“Our vote is our right, it is our voice, we have been hearing this since childhood. But when our right is snatched away from us, when our names are removed from the electoral rolls, what will we do? We will protest. This is our right. Today, look around and see how far your eyes can reach, this is the victory of democracy. Because we have recognised our own strength, and we have realised that we do not have to tolerate anything wrong, because this is our country, our Constitution has given us this right. So, many congratulations to all of you,” she added.
#WATCH | Maharashtra | Veteran actress Shabana Azmi joins the CJP protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park against the Election Commission. pic.twitter.com/Q9vVzrkS4O
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2026
The CJP has been opposing the SIR exercise and has been calling for Gyanesh Kumar to step down as Chief Election Commissioner. The organisation held the Mumbai gathering despite Mumbai Police denying permission for the protest. Heavy police deployment and barricades have been put in place around Shivaji Park as a large crowd gathered at the venue. Reports on the scale of the gathering diverse, with police estimates later placing the quantity in the 1000’s.
Naseeruddin Shah was also current at the protest and met CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. A video shared by Dipke confirmed the 2 embracing. During their interplay, Shah told him, “I want to thank you,” while Dipke responded that he was a big fan of the veteran actor. Shah then said, “I knew you were here. I am a huge fan of yours. Whatever you are doing, please continue doing that.”
Vishal Dadlani and Vishal Bhardwaj have been among the other movie personalities seen at the gathering. Actor Prakash Raj also prolonged his assist through a video message, talking about democracy, citizenship and the continuing SIR controversy.
Meanwhile, Shabana’s husband and lyricist Javed Akhtar reacted to criticism over the protest and considerations about noise pollution at Shivaji Park. In a post on X, he questioned whether or not comparable objections could be raised when political events maintain rallies at the same venue.
The CJP has maintained that its agitation is impartial and has said it won’t be part of the Opposition’s separate October 6 protest against the Election Commission.
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Shabana Azmi backs CJP’s Mumbai protest; says, “We | Watch Online Free
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