Delhi sealed off ahead of youth ‘Cockroach’ protest

Tens of thousands of security forces have been deployed across parts of Indian capital, Delhi, as the Gen Z-led Cockroach movement prepares for a significant protest on Saturday. The demonstrators are demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who is accused of manipulating voter lists.

The Election Commission denies these allegations and Kumar has yet to respond to the resignation call. The protesters claim that authorities have denied their permission to gather and have blocked roads leading to Jantar Mantar, the main protest site, with heavy metal barricades. Several trains to Delhi have been canceled, and police have ordered the closure of multiple metro stations to prevent the gathering of protesters.

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which is leading the protests, asserts that the CJP will march to Jantar Mantar come what may. If authorities attempt to jail or even shoot the protesters, he states, they are prepared to face the consequences. The CJP has been protesting for weeks, demanding educational reforms, and managed to force education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign in July.

The recent protests have expanded to include rallies in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and other cities. CJP leaders allege that police have been preventing many supporters from reaching Delhi, citing the short notice given by the CJP as a reason. The CJP also argues that they are legally allowed to gather without police approval. The heart of the controversy lies in a controversial revision of India's electoral rolls, known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The Election Commission claims it is to remove duplicate and ineligible entries, with 130 million names already removed from the voter list. However, opposition parties and activists argue that many eligible voters have been struck off the list and that the process is being manipulated by CEC Kumar to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in upcoming elections.

Both the BJP and the Election Commission have dismissed these accusations. In recent days, the opposition's dispute with the Election Commission has escalated, with three consecutive days of protests by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and other MPs in Delhi resulting in tense confrontations captured on social media.