Indian authorities detained the founder and other leaders of the satirical “cockroach” online movement on Sunday as hundreds of protesters gathered in New Delhi to demand the resignation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) chief amid allegations of misconduct in a nationwide voter-roll revision process. The demonstration took place despite a substantial security presence and restrictions aimed at limiting access to the protest site.
Abhijeet Dipke, head of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), and two other movement leaders were apprehended upon arrival at the capital’s airport. The group stated that the detainees had been taken to undisclosed locations and denied contact with lawyers or outside parties.
The protest marks the latest episode in weeks of opposition mobilisation following claims that the ECI’s voter-roll revision could disenfranchise millions and favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Opposition parties accuse the commission of removing legitimate voters, a charge the ECI denies, maintaining that the revision targets duplicate and ineligible entries to ensure electoral integrity.
Security measures in New Delhi have been extensive since Friday, with tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces deployed around the city’s central protest area at Jantar Mantar. Authorities have closed multiple metro stations, suspended train services to Delhi, and temporarily blocked mobile internet access near the site. Despite these measures, demonstrators attempted to proceed to the protest location, with reports indicating dozens were taken into custody during efforts to march.
The Hindu newspaper reported up to 3,000 detentions amid the protests, though these figures have not been independently confirmed. Journalists from media outlets such as Scroll and Newslaundry were also briefly detained. Police officials did not respond to requests for comment on the arrests.
This wave of protests echoes a similar demonstration organized by the “cockroach” movement in July and centers on demands for the resignation of Rajesh Kumar, the 76-year-old ECI chief. The allegations against the commission have intensified political tensions during Modi’s third term, with critics warning the voter-roll update risks undermining the democratic process in a country of 1.4 billion people.
Concerns escalated after reports indicated key decisions on the revision may have been made without the approval of two election commissioners. The ECI counters that all decisions were unanimous and in accordance with legal procedures.
Protesters expressed frustration over restrictions on their right to peaceful assembly. Saransh, a 24-year-old university graduate, told reporters he traveled several miles circumventing security barriers to reach the protest, asserting his commitment to defending the constitution and questioning the need for permission to express dissent.
Amnesty International criticized the government’s “lockdown-like restrictions,” while opposition Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called on authorities to address public concerns, stating that a government confident in its electoral process would welcome scrutiny rather than suppress protests.
The voter-roll revision, initiated in 2025, reportedly removed more than 133 million names from draft lists, according to media citing ECI data. The commission defends the sweep as necessary to eliminate fraudulent registrations and prevent ineligible voters, including “foreign illegal immigrants,” from participating. However, critics argue that marginalized and minority communities have been disproportionately impacted.
The BJP has long alleged that undocumented Muslim migrants, particularly from Bangladesh, have been fraudulently included in electoral rolls. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra dismissed the protests as attempts by the CJP to create disorder, asserting that the events do not reflect the broader state of India, which he described as stable and progressing under effective governance.
Political analyst Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay suggested the protests reflect a period of political vulnerability for Modi, predicting that challenges to his administration may intensify in the coming months.