'Cockroach' group leaders held in Delhi protests

Indian police have apprehended over 2,000 protesters and the founder of the Cockroach youth movement during demonstrations in Delhi. Thousands of police and paramilitary forces were deployed to quell protests calling for the impeachment of India's election chief. Mobile internet services were disabled in the central business district, and numerous metro stations and markets were closed to hinder the demonstration.

The protests targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a voter list revision that critics claim unfairly favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Thousands were expected to assemble at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, but security forces barred the area before the protest began. A home ministry official confirmed more than 2,000 arrests in Delhi, while local media reported approximately 400 detainees in Mumbai.

Smaller protests erupted in other parts of Delhi, such as a crafts market and Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, with demonstrators demanding Kumar's resignation. Protester Yogendra Solanki urged authorities not to violate citizens' rights. The UN office for the high commissioner for human rights expressed concern over mass detentions of demonstrators, leaders, civil society members, lawyers, and journalists before and during the demonstrations in Delhi.

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were among those detained when their flight from Mumbai arrived in Delhi. Dipke defiantly challenged officers as they approached him on the plane, stating he was ready to be arrested. The movement denounced the "authoritarian detention" of its leaders, called for their release, and vowed to continue protesting until Kumar's resignation.

Opposition lawmakers and former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, and Pinarayi Vijayan were also detained, as were four reporters from digital news outlets covering the demonstrations. Police established checkpoints and blockades, searching for protesters and inspecting vehicles. The unrest poses a significant challenge for Prime Minister Modi, stemming from allegations of improperly revised voter rolls ahead of recent state elections.

Opposition parties argue that the deletions influenced the outcomes of recent state elections won by the BJP, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the world's largest democracy's voting process.