India detains thousands, locks down Delhi to foil election chief protest

Police in Delhi detained thousands of protesters on Saturday as they attempted to rally and demand the resignation of India's election chief, Gyanesh Kumar. According to France 24 and the Jerusalem Post, over 2,000 protesters were detained, while Live Mint reported that more than 7,000 people were held. The protesters, associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were calling for Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities linked to the revision of electoral rolls.

The police deployed thousands of personnel, suspended mobile internet services in the central business district, and shut down dozens of metro stations and markets to prevent the demonstration. The CJP had planned to gather at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, but security forces sealed off the area before the protest began. Some of those detained included CJP founder members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka, as well as YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and AISA national president Neha Bora, according to The Hindu.

Protests also took place in Mumbai, where about 400 people were detained, and other parts of Delhi, including a popular crafts market and the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Some protesters chanted slogans, including "Long live the revolution." The Indian Express reported that several political leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee, were also detained during the protest.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, The Hindu, Live Mint, Jerusalem Post, The Indian Express — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.