Hundreds Detained in Delhi as 'Cockroach' Group Protests Electoral Reforms

Hundreds of protesters were reportedly detained in Delhi during a demonstration by the Gen-Z led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over electoral reforms. The group stated that its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, along with other leaders, was detained shortly after arriving in Delhi.

Dipke initiated the movement in May after India's Chief Justice metaphorically described some unemployed young people as "cockroaches." The CJP, which is not a registered political party in India, is advocating for electoral reforms ahead of crucial state elections. They have also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, citing allegations of manipulating voter lists, which the Election Commission denies.

Under Kumar's leadership, India's election commission has been updating electoral rolls nationwide, a process described as routine to remove deceased, duplicate, or ineligible voters. However, this exercise has faced controversy in several states, with tens of thousands of individuals claiming to have been wrongly removed from voter lists. The CJP and opposition parties accuse Kumar of favoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the voter roll update process, claims that the Election Commission and the BJP have refuted.

Ahead of the protest, Dipke had stated, "If you think you can stop us by threatening us with jail or trying to intimidate us with the fear of imprisonment, you are mistaken." Dipke and two other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were reportedly detained on their flight from Mumbai. The CJP claims the three were taken to an undisclosed location, and Delhi Police have not commented on the detentions. | IMAGE2

Ajinkya Shinde, designated as the CJP's interim leader, released a video urging protesters to continue their demonstration. Student activist Neha Bora, also reportedly detained by Delhi Police, encouraged demonstrators to "hold the line." | IMAGE4

Significant security measures, including the deployment of tens of thousands of security personnel and barricaded roads, prevented protesters from reaching the planned demonstration site at Jantar Mantar. Several trains to and from major Delhi stations were canceled, and numerous metro stations were closed starting Friday night. Buses filled with detained protesters were observed leaving the vicinity of the protest site. | IMAGE3

Delhi Police had previously refused permission for the protest to take place at Jantar Mantar. Announcements were made across the city urging public cooperation with the police. One protester, Sabika Muzaffar, told the BBC that she and her mother were preparing for potential detention, stating that protesting was "her way of defending the country and its democracy." Muzaffar was reportedly taken away by police shortly after speaking with the BBC.