Indian police detained more than 2,000 people in New Delhi on Saturday, October 10, shutting down parts of the capital to prevent a rally demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest was organized by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, which accuses Kumar and the Election Commission of manipulating voter-list revisions to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Authorities deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel, sealed the planned protest site at Jantar Mantar, suspended mobile internet in central Delhi and closed metro stations and markets. Security forces detained demonstrators before they reached the rally area, while opposition politicians, journalists, lawyers and activists were also reportedly taken into custody.
The movement’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and two senior leaders were detained after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi. A magistrate’s court ordered the three leaders released on October 11, subject to a condition that they avoid breaching the peace for a year. The Election Commission and the BJP deny wrongdoing, while protesters say the voter-roll changes could exclude legitimate voters and undermine confidence in India’s elections.
The crackdown has intensified debate over civil liberties and the government’s handling of growing opposition to the election authorities.