India's 'cockroach' movement founder released from police custody

India's Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke was released from police custody on Saturday, following his detention earlier in the week. Dipke, 31, was apprehended on Friday in New Delhi as he attempted to join a protest rally organized by the CJP in the city's central Connaught Place district. Police cited concerns over public order as the reason for his arrest.

Dipke appeared before a camera post-release, giving a thumbs up and waving to reporters. CJP legal affairs chief Ratna Singh announced his release on social media. Opposition parties and CJP supporters have been defying a police crackdown, staging protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The election authority has been accused of tampering with voter rolls, deleting over 130 million voters, allegedly to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party.

The Election Commission denies any bias and states that wrongly removed voters can re-enroll. Student activist Neha Bora, another prominent protest figure, was also released on Saturday after being detained earlier that day. She called for Gyanesh Kumar's impeachment and an end to the controversial revision process. Two other senior CJP leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, remain in custody after being arrested on October 14 for entering Jantar Mantar, a historic protest site deemed off-limits for demonstrations.

BJP critics have accused the ruling party of attempting to undermine democratic processes by questioning the legitimacy of the electoral system. Allegations of Modi's government eroding democratic freedoms persist, citing intrusions into journalism, civil society, and political opposition, which the government denies.