Hundreds of protesters have been detained in Delhi during a demonstration by the Gen-Z led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over electoral reforms. The group, founded by Abhijeet Dipke in May, is seeking changes to the electoral system just months before crucial state elections. The CJP's demands include the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of manipulating voters' lists, which the Election Commission has denied.
The CJP's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, was detained with other leaders, including Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, shortly after landing in Delhi. The group claimed the three men have been taken to an undisclosed location. Delhi Police have not commented on the detentions. The CJP had insisted on going ahead with the demonstration despite the heavy security presence and road blocks.
Tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed, and roads were barricaded ahead of the demonstration. The Delhi Police had refused permission for the protest to take place at Jantar Mantar, a landmark in the Indian capital. The group is not registered as a political party in India. The CJP first emerged as a major protest movement during weeks of demonstrations over the summer demanding education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The CJP stemmed from a joke made by Dipke in response to a remark by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant, who had likened jobless youngsters to "cockroaches". Dipke, who previously worked with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had just completed a master's degree at Boston University when he posted a question on X in May: "What if all cockroaches come together?" The post went viral, and the CJP was born.
Momentum built around the movement, which tapped into anger over unemployment, exam paper leaks, and government accountability. In July, Dipke watched from the stage as the five-week-long protest ended in celebration after the resignation of India's education minister. The group has also demanded action against the alleged manipulation of voters' lists by the Election Commission under Kumar's leadership.
The Election Commission and the BJP have denied allegations of favouring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the way the electoral rolls are being updated. Before arriving in Delhi, Dipke said: "If you think you can stop us by threatening us with jail or trying to intimidate us with the fear of imprisonment, you are mistaken." Student activist Neha Bora, who had also been detained by Delhi Police, urged demonstrators to "hold the line".
The large number of protesters expected to descend on Delhi were unable to get anywhere close to Jantar Mantar due to the heavy security presence and road blocks. Several trains to and from major Delhi stations had been cancelled, and dozens of metro stations were closed from Friday night. Buses packed with detained protesters were seen being driven away from the protest site. One protester, Sabika Muzaffar, told the BBC she and her mother expected to be detained.
Key points
- The CJP is demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of manipulating voters' lists.
- The group stemmed from a joke made by Abhijeet Dipke in response to a remark by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant, who had likened jobless youngsters to "cockroaches".
- Hundreds of protesters were detained in Delhi during the demonstration, and the CJP's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, was taken into custody with other leaders.
