India detains 'cockroach' leaders ahead of election protest

New Delhi: Indian authorities arrested leaders of the cockroach-themed online protest movement on Saturday, just before a planned demonstration against the Election Commission, according to the group. The demonstration, set to occur in the capital, marks the peak of weeks-long opposition efforts in response to allegations of misconduct during a nationwide voter roll update by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, along with two other leaders, were detained upon landing in New Delhi, with police visible on their flight as reported by television stations. Opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party expressed concern over the arrests, labeling them as evidence of an "absolute dictatorship."

Critics argue that the voter roll revision could exclude millions of voters and favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party. The Election Commission denies any misconduct, stating the revision aimed to eliminate duplicate and ineligible voters. Delhi has been under tight security since Friday, with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed to prevent protesters from reaching the main protest location.

Over 200 protesters have already been detained, with more media outlets, including Scroll and Newslaundry, reporting their own journalists' arrests. The protests echo a previous mass mobilization by the cockroach movement in July, which prompted the removal of an education minister over an examination scandal. This time, protesters are demanding ECI chief Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.