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

Indian authorities detained over 2,000 protesters and the leader of the Cockroach youth movement on Saturday to prevent a demonstration against the Chief Election Commissioner. Security forces deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel across Delhi, suspended mobile internet services in the central business district, and shut down dozens of metro stations and markets to stop the rally.

The protest demanded the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a revision of voter lists that critics say unfairly benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Over 2,000 were detained in Delhi and around 400 in Mumbai, according to the home ministry and local media. The UN expressed concern over mass detentions, urging authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and engage in meaningful dialogue.

The Indian mission to the UN countered that the UN's concerns were "misplaced" and that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by India's Constitution. The Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were among those detained when their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi. Despite facing arrest, Dipke reportedly declared he was not afraid and demanded his release, vowing to continue protesting until Kumar's resignation.

Opposition lawmakers and former chief ministers, including Mamata Banerjee and Pinarayi Vijayan, were also detained. Police set up checkpoints, boarded buses, and inspected vehicles, disrupting traffic in the capital of about 20 million people.