'Cockroach' group leaders among hundreds detained in Delhi protest

A group of protesters, led by the Gen-Z party known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were reportedly detained during a demonstration in Delhi over electoral reforms. The CJP, founded by Abhijeet Dipke in May, claims Dipke and two other leaders were taken from a flight from Mumbai to Delhi and are being held in an undisclosed location.

The CJP, which is not registered as a political party in India, has been seeking electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amidst allegations of manipulating voter lists. The group asserts Kumar favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the updating process. While the CJP insisted the protest would proceed, Delhi Police had denied the permit for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, a key landmark in the capital.

Security was extensive, with tens of thousands of personnel deployed and roads barricaded. Many protesters were unable to approach Jantar Mantar due to the heavy presence and roadblocks. The CJP emerged from a series of demonstrations over the summer demanding education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, which culminated in Dipke's response to Chief Justice Surya Kant's remarks likening jobless young people to "cockroaches."