Authorities detain thousands and arrest Cockroach Janta Party leaders before Delhi rally

Indian authorities imposed a tight security lockdown on New Delhi on 10 October, deploying tens of thousands of security personnel and detaining thousands of people to block a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, a Gen Z-led movement. The group's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and two other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained shortly after their flight landed in the capital.

The Cockroach Janta Party began as a movement in May following remarks by India's Chief Justice about jobless young people. The party has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations that a nationwide voter-roll revision unfairly removed eligible voters, particularly from minority communities. Critics argue this development could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. According to media reports, more than 133 million names had been removed from electoral rolls during the revision exercise, though the Election Commission stated the process was routine, designed to eliminate duplicate, deceased or ineligible entries.

Delhi Police did not comment on the detentions but had previously denied the Cockroach Janta Party permission to hold its rally at the landmark Jantar Mantar site. On 11 October, an executive magistrate's court ordered the release of Dipke and the two other leaders on condition that they commit no breach of the peace for one year. The Cockroach Janta Party indicated that thousands of protesters had been detained in total before the planned demonstration, which preceded crucial state elections.