Thousands of protesters, calling themselves the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), are expected to gather in Delhi on Friday for a demonstration demanding electoral reforms, days after police prevented a similar mass demonstration and detained two of the group's leaders.
The CJP, which originated from an online movement against alleged electoral fraud, has called for supporters to assemble at Central Park in Connaught Place, a central commercial district. This follows the jailing of two CJP leaders for five days after they entered Jantar Mantar, a protest site recently declared off-limits by authorities.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to issue an order restraining the CJP from protesting after a local trader filed a petition citing potential disruptions to traffic and business. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has named the protest 'Lehra Do Tiranga,' meaning 'Wave the Tricolour,' and stated his preparedness for arrest.
Police presence is expected to be heavy, with barricades and mass detentions used previously to prevent protesters from reaching their designated assembly points. Dipke has encouraged supporters unable to travel to Delhi to raise the Indian flag and protest locally.
The CJP gained prominence in July after protesting examination paper leaks, which led to the resignation of India's education minister. The movement has since become a vocal expression of youth discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, now focusing on India's electoral rolls.
The CJP alleges that a revision of electoral rolls, known as Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has removed over 130 million names, potentially disenfranchising legitimate voters. The group demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of favoring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegations that both the commission and the government deny.
Last Saturday, police prevented the CJP's planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar by detaining leaders, including Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka, upon their arrival in Delhi. The capital experienced a significant security lockdown, with tens of thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed, roads sealed, and metro stations shut. Reports and footage emerged of protesters, including journalists and students, being detained, with some instances of alleged police assault.
Dipke, Das, and Ranka were released on Sunday after agreeing to maintain peace. Authorities subsequently removed Jantar Mantar from the list of approved protest sites, directing demonstrators to other locations.
Das and Ranka were detained again on Tuesday for entering Jantar Mantar without permission. They were subsequently placed in judicial custody for five days. Despite the depleted leadership, Dipke has vowed that the protest will proceed.
The CJP's campaign runs parallel to protests by India's opposition parties, who have also raised concerns about alleged manipulation of voter rolls by the Election Commission. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and other lawmakers were detained last week while attempting to march to the commission's headquarters. They have since presented their grievances to the President and marched towards the Supreme Court.
While the CJP, student organizations, and opposition parties have largely protested independently, their demands have begun to align. Gandhi has publicly condemned the CJP organizers' arrests and called for Jantar Mantar to be reopened for peaceful demonstrations. Home Minister Amit Shah has countered by accusing opposition parties of spreading misinformation and defended the Election Commission's independence.