The founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been arrested in Delhi ahead of a protest against India’s electoral commission.
TV channels reported earlier that police officers met founder Abhijeet Dipke at the Delhi airport after he arrived from Mumbai on Saturday and asked him to call off the protest as authorities had banned it.
“I have come to be arrested, arrest me … I am not afraid of you guys,” Mr Dipke told police officers who spoke to three men on board the aircraft, television images showed.
India’s youth “cockroach” movement was set to hold fresh protests in the capital New Delhi prior to its leader being arrested. (Reuters: Adnan Abidi)
“No, this is not an arrest,” one police officer replied.
“Please cooperate.”
Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained from their flight upon landing, the movement said in a statement.
Protesters are demanding the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. (AP Photo: Manish Swarup)
CJP condemned the “authoritarian detention” of its leaders, which it called a “pre-planned interception” aimed at crippling the leadership of Saturday’s rally, and demanded their immediate release.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected at Delhi’s designated protest site, Jantar Mantar, where authorities have imposed sweeping restrictions, including suspension of mobile internet.
Police said on Friday they had denied permission for the protest because the request was submitted late.
Demonstrators participate in a protest organised by opposition parties demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner. (Reuters: Sharafat Ali)
Police detain some demonstrators heading to protest site
The demonstration site has been cordoned off with yellow metal barricades and thousands of police have been deployed in and around the area.
The police intercepted protesters before they could reach the protest site, chasing some away and detaining others.
Police officers stopped buses, cars and other vehicles heading to the protest area. (Reuters: Priyanshu Singh)
The preparations signal the authorities’ determination to contain a fast-growing protest campaign that has drawn opposition support and intensified scrutiny of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Some protesters nevertheless broke through police cordons, chanting slogans against Modi and election authorities before being detained.
Those detained were bundled into police vehicles and driven away.
At entry points to central New Delhi, officers stopped buses, cars and other vehicles, boarding them to search for people headed to the demonstrations.
Anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers stood along key routes.
Journalists also faced restrictions in some areas while trying to cover the demonstration.
“We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Shouldn’t we fight for our rights?” said Tanya Negi, a college student who travelled from Mumbai.
Restrictions on train services were expected to disrupt travel across the capital and make it harder for protesters to reach the venue.
Protesters were loaded to police vehicles after being detained. (AP Photo: Manish Swarup)
India’s young return to streets
The protests centre on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, which the opposition says has disenfranchised millions of eligible voters.
Protesters are demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the change, which has removed more than 130 million names from voter lists so far.
Protesters demand the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. (AP: Aijaz Rahi)
The Election Commission and the government reject allegations of voter manipulation, saying the revision is intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries.
The dispute has also become a rallying point for opposition parties seeking to challenge Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Saturday’s planned demonstration follows days of protests in the Indian capital where opposition politicians stepped up their campaign, with Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi being briefly detained by police.
Mr Gandhi and other opposition leaders have accused the commission of conducting the voter revision in a way that benefits Mr Modi’s party.
The commission and the government deny the allegations.
For the Cockroach Janta Party, the voter list dispute offers an opportunity to broaden its campaign.
The protests come at a politically sensitive time, months after demonstrations led by the movement over exam paper leaks forced Modi’s education minister to resign in July.
Source: www.abc.net.au
