Indian police block ‘Cockroach’ rally, detain thousands
dpaNew DelhiThousands of protesters, mostly young people and students, along with several political leaders, were detained by police in New Delhi on Saturday as authorities sought...
On Saturday, Indian police in New Delhi arrested thousands of protesters as they attempted to block a demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration, organized by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), targeted Jantar Mantar, a central location in Delhi often used for protests.
Most of those detained were young people and students, along with several former chief ministers who led regional governments. Police stopped or intercepted protesters near Jantar Mantar, some were even dragged onto buses after resisting arrest and taken to detention centers. The Delhi Police spokesman confirmed the demonstration was unauthorized and that the exact number of detainees was still being calculated.
The Hindu estimated that at least 5,000 people were arrested. Opposition activist Yogendra Yadav noted that the arrests signaled the ruling power's unease, indicating the movement's persistence. The CJP advocates for good governance and had specifically called for Kumar's resignation over allegations of manipulating electoral rolls to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which began in mid-2025, has resulted in the removal of 130 million names from electoral rolls. The Election Commission denies these accusations, arguing that the process aims to remove deceased and duplicate voters, ensuring the accuracy of electoral rolls.
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