Police detain thousands of youth protesters across New Delhi crackdown
Officers in New Delhi detained thousands of youth demonstrators Saturday during a major security sweep. The operation halted planned rallies against voter list revisions that removed more than 130 million names. The action disrupted a nationwide campaign by the Cockroach movement targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and election authorities.
Police intercepted demonstrators before they reached Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital. Officers chased off some people and dragged others into vehicles for transport to detention centers. Police stopped buses, cars and other vehicles at checkpoints on routes into the capital.
Anti-riot vehicles with tear gas launchers stood ready along major transit routes. Barricades blocked Jantar Mantar. Authorities also cut mobile internet service and blocked access to parts of the city.
Police denied protest permission Friday. Officials said organizers submitted the demonstration request too late to receive official clearance.
Movement leaders detained at Delhi airport
Three Cockroach movement leaders arrived at Delhi airport on a flight from Mumbai on Saturday. Officers intercepted the organizers before they could reach the designated protest venue.
Police detained three prominent movement figures aboard their plane upon arrival in Delhi:
- Abhijeet Dipke
- Saurav Das
- Ashutosh Ranka
A video shared by the Cockroach Janta Party on X showed police boarding the plane. Officers took the three men into custody directly inside the aircraft cabin.
“The pre-planned interception by Delhi Police aims to cripple the leadership of today’s peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site,” the movement said in a statement.
Loudspeakers in New Delhi warned that gatherings of five or more people were illegal. Journalists also faced travel and reporting restrictions in several areas across the capital.
Some demonstrators broke through police cordons and shouted slogans against Modi and election officials. Security personnel quickly detained those demonstrators following the confrontation at the police cordon.
“We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force,” said Tanya Negi, a college student who traveled from Mumbai with two friends.
Opposition politicians criticized the police operation and accused the government of silencing public dissent. Demonstrations in recent days featured protests from opposition lawmakers in the capital. Police also briefly detained Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi during those earlier demonstrations.
“A total siege over the city. Citizens are being driven out.”
Opposition lawmaker John Brittas told The Associated Press that citizens faced forced removal from the streets.
Voter list revisions prompt nationwide dispute
The dispute centers on the Special Intensive Revision run by the Election Commission of India. Protesters demand the formal resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the policy.
The revision process has eliminated more than 130 million names from the national voter lists. Both the Election Commission and the government firmly reject all allegations of voter manipulation. Officials stated the project seeks only to eliminate duplicate and ineligible registry records.
Opposition leaders claim voters who back their parties suffered unfair removal from rolls. They also allege authorities spared or added supporters of the ruling party to lists. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party deny receiving any improper advantage from the process.
The Cockroach youth movement began online in May through social media campaigns. Sit-ins and hunger strikes over alleged exam paper leaks forced the education minister to resign in July. Modi has maintained a continuous hold on national power for more than 12 years.
The Election Commission of India oversees voter rolls and administers national elections across all states. Jantar Mantar serves as a designated assembly location for political demonstrations in New Delhi. Municipal police forces enforce public assembly restrictions to manage crowd sizes in the capital.
The ongoing demonstrations present a challenge midway through Modi’s third term in office. National parliamentary elections will not take place across the country until 2029. Upcoming state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat will test voter support for the BJP.
