A New Delhi court on Sunday released the founder and leaders of India’s youth Cockroach movement following a massive police crackdown that detained thousands of protesters and suspended transport and mobile internet services across the capital during demonstrations demanding the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner.
Abhijeet Dipke and CJP Leaders Freed After Airport Arrests and Court Order
A New Delhi court ordered the release of Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, alongside fellow movement leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, according to defense lawyers. The trio had been taken into custody Saturday as their flight from Mumbai landed at Delhi airport ahead of a planned mass demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Ratna Singh, the head lawyer for the CJP, stated that the executive magistrate’s court freed the leaders on the condition that they make no breach of peace for one year. The CJP condemned the detentions as an authoritarian interception designed to cripple the leadership of their demonstrations before they could even reach the protest site.
Footage captured on the aircraft showed Dipke confronting police officers who boarded the plane. I have come to be arrested, arrest me … I am not afraid of you guys,
he told them.
Security Lockdown Grips New Delhi as 27,000 Police and Paramilitary Personnel Deployed
Saturday’s demonstrations triggered a sweeping security operation across the capital of roughly 20 million people. Authorities deployed nearly 27,000 police and paramilitary personnel, suspended mobile internet services in the central business district, shut dozens of metro stations, and closed markets to prevent protesters from assembling. Public transport in and around the capital faced severe disruptions as more than 245 trains were cancelled and up to 45 metro stations shut down. Security checkpoints jammed major roadways, and officers boarded buses to inspect vehicles and search for demonstrators.
Demonstrators chanted Long live the revolution,
as police officers pursued them and dragged individuals onto buses. Yogendra Solanki told reporters while being escorted away by police, This is violating the rights of the people and the country will not tolerate this anymore.
A home ministry official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that more than 2,000 people were detained in Delhi alone, while local media reported an additional 400 arrests in Mumbai. To discourage the protests, approximately 1,200 individuals were taken into custody overnight, according to police sources who spoke with the Indian Express. The sweep also scooped up prominent opposition figures, journalists, and lawyers. Former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, and Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala were detained, alongside opposition lawmaker John Brittas. Independent media outlets reported that four reporters covering the protests were also detained by police, while journalists from Scroll, Newslaundry, Navbharat Times, and Reporter TV were snatched from where they were covering the events. Ms Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav, and lawyer Prashant Bhushan were detained as they marched toward the protest site, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained at his home in Gurugram.
Voter Roll Controversy and the Special Intensive Revision Dispute
The weekend demonstrations targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision. Opposition parties and the CJP argue that the verification exercise could strip millions of people of their voting rights and give an advantage to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The government and the election commission have consistently denied these allegations.
We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Shouldn’t we fight for our rights?
Tanya Negi, protester
During the draft revision stage, voter entries were flagged in Election Commission data, accounting for 63 million relocated individuals, 30 million untraceable persons, and 28 million deceased individuals. The commission maintains that any eligible voter incorrectly deleted can re-enroll, though critics argue the scale of the removals threatens election fairness.
Political Fallout and Accusations of Dictatorship from Opposition Leaders
The government’s crackdown drew swift condemnation from opposition leaders. Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi labeled the arrests an act of cowardice
and described Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as the villains of this story
who were slowly finding the space closing around them.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted that India is no longer a democracy but a dictatorship run by Modi and Shah.
Ruling party officials defended the state’s actions. BJP president Nitin Nabin accused the CJP of attempting to destabilize the nation at the behest of foreign forces.
With national elections not scheduled until 2029, attention turns to upcoming state elections next year in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, which will test the political standing of Modi’s government against a galvanized youth movement demanding institutional accountability.