Police detained scores of protesters and their leaders in New Delhi on Saturday amid a lockdown to stop a youth protest calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest, organized by the “Cockroach” youth movement, aimed to draw thousands of demonstrators against Kumar over a revision of voter lists that critics say favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The protesters planned to gather at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in the heart of New Delhi, at 10:00 am, but their schedule was delayed due to stringent security measures.
Young protesters in central Delhi chanted, “Long live the revolution,” as police chased and detained them, a Reuters witness said. Yogendra Solanki, one of those detained, told Reuters, “This is violating the rights of the people and the country will not tolerate this anymore.”
Police Detain Protest Leaders and Journalists
Police also detained Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the ‘Cockroach Janta Party,’ along with senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, as their aircraft arrived in Delhi from Mumbai. Dipke, addressing police officers on the aircraft, declared, “I have come to be arrested, arrest me… I am not afraid of you guys.” One police officer replied, “No, this is not an arrest.” The CJP condemned the “authoritarian detention” of its leaders, labeling it a “pre-planned interception” to disrupt the protest’s leadership, and demanded their immediate release.
Representatives of two digital media outlets reported on X that police detained four of their reporters while covering the protest. Additionally, some lawyers protesting outside the Supreme Court were detained, according to the president of its bar association. There was no immediate comment from police regarding these detentions.
Delhi Locked Down to Foil Protest
Across the city of 20 million, 45 metro stations and markets were shut, and mobile internet was suspended in the central business district. Police boarded buses and checked vehicles at entry points into the city, with Reuters witnesses noting that cars and other vehicles were also subjected to scrutiny. Barricades and concrete blocks halted traffic, while anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas guns were positioned on key routes.
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Voter List Revisions Spark Controversy
The protest, which the CJP called an effort to “Save Democracy,” was planned as the biggest in a series of demonstrations launched after the Indian Express reported that Kumar’s deputies had queried and disagreed with him over list revisions that dropped about 130 million voters—a number exceeding the population of Japan. Opposition parties have long accused the government of manipulating voter lists to its advantage and quickly revived these allegations following the report. Kumar has not commented, but the Election Commission and the BJP deny the claims.
The BJP attributes its electoral success to Modi’s popularity and India’s economic growth, accusing opposition parties of misleading the public due to their inability to win elections. However, the near-daily protests pose a new political challenge to Modi, coming just months after similar demonstrations forced his education minister to resign over exam paper leaks. These protests also precede a series of key state elections starting in early 2027.
On Friday, Delhi police stated they had not granted permission for the protest and warned that violators would face legal consequences. The CJP, however, proceeded with its plan, asserting the exercise of a fundamental right.
Election Commission data shows that about 130 million names were deleted from voter lists during the verification exercise, including 63 million who relocated, 30 million who could not be traced, and 28 million who are deceased. The commission notes that these deletions occurred during the draft revision stage and that wrongly removed voters can re-enroll.
The protesters accuse the BJP of colluding with its appointees in the Election Commission, including Kumar, to manipulate voter lists and sway election results. Opposition parties claim these deletions influenced the outcomes of recent state elections won by the BJP, casting doubt on the integrity of elections in the world’s largest democracy.
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