Leaders of India’s ‘cockroach’ youth movement were detained on Tuesday after climbing over barricades to enter the grounds of Jantar Mantar, a historic observatory that is a frequent protest venue in New Delhi. The group’s members were chanting for chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down over a disputed overhaul of voter rolls.
Backers of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties have held nearly daily demonstrations this month. Critics say the voter list changes benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission denies favouring any party and says voters wrongly removed can register again.
Volunteers detained inside the observatory
The CJP said its leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde were among about 20 volunteers who slipped inside to take back the site. A livestream showed roughly a dozen people hopping a gate and barricades, waving the national flag and shouting slogans before police acted. Delhi Police had not responded to a request for comment.
The protest followed a Monday announcement by Delhi Police that Jantar Mantar was no longer an official protest site, and that three alternative venues had been identified. Earlier that day, thousands joined an opposition march after a crackdown disrupted the CJP’s planned weekend demonstration. Police detained thousands of protesters, including CJP leaders.
After the detentions, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said online that the movement could not be officially cancelled.
Disputed voter list revisions and the election panel’s response
The revision, which began last year, removed more than 130 million names from voter lists. Of those, 28 million people had died, 63 million had moved away and 30 million could not be traced.
Press reports last month said two of Kumar’s deputies had raised internal concerns about the revisions, registration procedures and digital systems. Opposition parties allege the deletions fall hardest on Muslim voters and other minorities, who are considered unlikely to back the Hindu nationalist ruling party. The poll panel and the BJP reject those allegations, and the BJP has accused rivals of undermining democracy by questioning legitimate electoral processes.
A movement that has tested Modi’s government
The youth movement has organised protests in recent months on issues ranging from government school infrastructure to jobs. It is among the biggest political challenges Modi and his BJP have faced during their 12 years in power.
Earlier this year, a weeks-long sit-in by its supporters at Jantar Mantar led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks.
