Delhi shuts metro stations and internet before protest over election chief

On October 10, Central Delhi was sealed off ahead of a protest calling for the resignation of India's chief election officer. The youth protest, organized by the Cockroach youth movement, aimed to draw thousands of demonstrators to Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in the heart of New Delhi. The protest, dubbed "Save Democracy," was sparked by reports of voter list revisions that critics claimed favored Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Several hundred thousand police and paramilitary personnel patrolled the area, and 57 metro stations were shut down. Mobile internet services in a 4 km (2.5 miles) radius around the protest site were suspended. Markets in the vicinity were also closed. Authorities stated that the protest request had not been submitted on time and that the leader of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had violated past protest agreements.

The CJP leaders, however, rejected the decision and declared they would proceed with the protest as an exercise of their fundamental rights. Opposition parties had long suspected voter list manipulation by the government, and the protests quickly reignited those allegations. The BJP denied the claims, stating Modi's popularity and economic growth were reasons for the party's electoral success.

The near-daily protests from opposition groups now present a political challenge to Modi, just months after demonstrations removed his education minister due to leaked exam papers.