Indian Police Detain Leaders of 'Cockroach' Movement

Indian police arrested leaders of the youth movement “The Cockroaches,” Abhijeet Dabhi, Suraj Das, and Ashutosh Ranjan, upon their arrival at Delhi airport from Mumbai, to prevent them from leading protests.

A video released by the movement on the “X” platform showed police officers boarding the plane and detaining the three men. The movement stated in a press release: “The premeditated obstruction by Delhi police aims to disrupt the leadership of today’s peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site.”

The arrests came as authorities in the capital significantly and unusually tightened security restrictions. Loudspeakers installed at Jantar Mantar square warned that gatherings of five or more people were banned in parts of New Delhi, while journalists faced restrictions in certain areas. The protest site was surrounded by yellow metal barriers, and thousands of police officers were deployed in and around the area.

Despite these measures, some protesters breached police barricades, chanting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the electoral authorities, before being detained. Restrictions on train services and metro stations are expected to disrupt travel across the capital and make it difficult for protesters to reach the venue.

The protests center on the intensive review being conducted by the Election Commission of India, which the opposition claims has disenfranchised millions of eligible voters. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and an end to changes that have so far removed more than 130 million names from the electoral rolls. The Election Commission and the government deny allegations of voter manipulation, stating that the review aims to eliminate duplicate and ineligible names. This dispute has become a rallying point for opposition parties seeking to challenge Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Opposition lawmakers have escalated their campaign against the government, with House of Representatives opposition leader Rahul Gandhi briefly detained by police. Gandhi and other opposition leaders accused the Election Commission of conducting the voter list review in a manner that benefits Modi’s party, claiming that voters more likely to support opposition parties were disproportionately affected by the deletions, while BJP supporters were either exempted or added to the rolls. The Election Commission and the government deny these allegations.

Opposition leaders condemned the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, accusing the government of attempting to suppress dissent. Opposition MP Jyotiraditya Scindia stated: “Is there democracy in this country? It is a complete siege of the city. Citizens are being driven out.”