Police detain leaders of India’s ‘cockroach’ movement at New Delhi protest

What the report says

Police in New Delhi detained leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party after they entered Jantar Mantar, a well-known protest site, despite authorities saying it was no longer an approved demonstration venue. According to Al Jazeera, the detentions took place on Tuesday, with party figures Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde among roughly 20 volunteers who crossed barricades to reach the area.

The group was protesting revisions to voter lists and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Critics argue the changes could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, while the Election Commission has denied any bias and said voters removed in error can register again. Al Jazeera reported that supporters and opposition groups have staged near-daily protests this month over the issue.

The Delhi Police had announced a day earlier that Jantar Mantar would no longer serve as an official protest site and had identified three alternative locations. Despite that decision, CJP members proceeded with their planned demonstration. A video posted by party founder Abhijeet Dipke showed volunteers entering through a gate and barricades before police detained them.

The episode highlights the scale of the unrest around election-related disputes and the contest over public protest spaces in the capital. More broadly, the movement has emerged as one of the more visible political challenges facing Modi’s government, according to the report.