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

Security forces in New Delhi detained over 2,000 protesters and arrested the founder of the Cockroach youth movement on October 10, as they implemented a lockdown to prevent a rally against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The rally demanded Kumar's resignation due to a voter list revision, which critics claim disproportionately benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Over 2,000 individuals were held in Delhi, while around 400 protesters were detained in Mumbai. The UN Human Rights Office expressed concerns over the mass detentions, urging authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly. The Indian mission to the UN in Geneva dismissed these concerns, stating that they were an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India.

Cockroach Party leader Abhijeet Dipke and senior members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were among those detained, with Dipke challenging his arrest on a flight from Mumbai. The opposition expressed solidarity with the protesters, demanding their release and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Kumar.