Police detained India’s “cockroach” movement founder Abhijeet Dipke and some supporters on Friday, ahead of a protest called by him in capital Delhi’s central business district, the latest rally to demand the resignation of India’s election chief.
The youth-led “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), opposition groups, and student organizations have held almost daily protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a revision of voter lists that critics say favours Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
More than 130 million voters were deleted during the revision but the Election Commission has denied favouring any party and said wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol. The BJP has accused rivals of trying to undermine democracy by wrongly questioning legitimate electoral processes.
Dipke called Friday’s protest in support of two CJP leaders detained and sent to jail this week for five days for demonstrating at a protest site in violation of a ban.
The group and left-wing student organisations had urged supporters to gather at the Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district on Friday evening to wave and hoist the national flag.
The live video on CJP’s Instagram handle showed Dipke coming out of a house and walking towards the street, where police officers stopped him and, after a brief argument, hauled him into a police car and drove away.
“We are detaining you right now,” a police officer could be heard telling Dipke.
“I have not broken any law right now…how can you detain me,” Dipke asked the police officers as he was taken away.
‘My own country called me a national security threat,’ says leader of India’s ‘Cockroach’ movement
There was no immediate comment from the police on the detention.
“Abhijeet is detained by Delhi Police,” CJP posted on X. “This government is so scared of the youth waving national flag.”
Student activist Neha Bora, a prominent face of the protests, was also detained as she tried to reach Connaught Place with dozens of supporters, local media reported.
Earlier on Friday, police met Dipke and warned him against going ahead with the protest. Security was stepped up and the park itself shut by civic authorities.
Senior police officer Sachin Sharma told news agency ANI that Dipke was served a notice that asked him to obey the law, and that he was informed of the implications of any violations.
Television images showed dozens of people arriving at Connaught Place amid heavy security, some of them waving small versions of the national flag.
Small protests were also held in financial capital Mumbai and tech hub Bengaluru, while student organizations held a demonstration in the eastern city of Patna, with people waving flags of their organizations and pushing against police barricades.
The cockroach movement has emerged as one of the biggest political challenges faced by Modi and his BJP in his 12 years in power.
A weeks-long sit-in by its supporters earlier this year forced Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over exam paper leaks.
The latest demonstrations erupted after the Indian Express newspaper reported that Kumar’s two deputies raised concerns internally about voter list changes, registration procedures and digital systems.
The 130 million names that were removed from voter lists starting last year — equivalent to more than the population of Japan — included 28 million people who had died, 63 million who relocated, and 30 million who could not be traced, according to the Election Commission.
Opposition parties allege the deletions disproportionately affect Muslims and other minorities, who are unlikely to support the Hindu nationalist ruling party, allegations the commission and the BJP reject.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the demonstrations were the main opposition Congress party’s attempt to “seize power”.
“Instead of channeling the energy of the youth toward nation-building, they are being used as pawns in the politics of anarchy,” he said at a media briefing on Friday.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
Source: www.cnn.com
