Hundreds of Gen‑Z activists from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained by Delhi Police during a planned protest for electoral reforms. The movement, founded by Abhijeet Dipke after a Chief Justice comment likening jobless youth to “cockroaches”, has been calling for the removal of voters from the rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Thousands of security personnel were deployed and roads barricaded ahead of the demonstration, but the CJP insisted it would proceed. Delhi Police denied any comment on the detentions and had refused permission for the protest to take place at Jantar Mantar, a landmark in the Indian capital.
The group’s leaders, including Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were arrested on a flight from Mumbai. They were taken to an undisclosed location; Delhi Police have not released further details.
Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of favouring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the updated electoral rolls, a claim denied by the Commission. The incident comes just months before crucial state elections, heightening tensions around electoral reform.
Video footage shows the new CJP spokesperson, Ajinkya Shinde, urging protesters to hold their ground if police try to block them. Meanwhile, student activist Neha Bora, also detained, urged demonstrators to stay the course. A protester, Sabika Muzaffar, told the BBC she expected to be detained; she was taken away shortly after speaking to reporters.
Trains to and from major Delhi stations were cancelled and many metro stations were closed from Friday night. Buses packed with detained protesters were seen being driven away from the protest site. The large security presence and road blocks prevented the crowds from reaching Jantar Mantar.
