New Delhi prepared for a second consecutive day of demonstrations on Sunday, as young activists rallied at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protests follow a court order that released movement founder Abhijeet Dipke, who leads the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, and two senior leaders who had been detained when their plane landed in Delhi on Saturday.
Legal conditions and police response
After appearing before a magistrate, the released leaders were given a condition of “no breach of peace for one year,” posted by the party’s legal head Ratna Singh on X. Influencer Dhruv Rathee, also detained, was freed past midnight on the condition that he refrain from further protest activities, according to an unnamed interior ministry official.
Police detained more than 2,000 participants on the first day and locked down central Delhi to prevent the gathering. While metro stations reopened and mobile internet service was restored on Sunday, thousands of police and paramilitary personnel remained deployed throughout the city.
Criticism and government stance
Opposition parties and critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government condemned what they described as a heavy‑handed use of force against peaceful demonstrators. A United Nations body called on Indian authorities to safeguard the right to peaceful assembly.
India’s foreign ministry dismissed the UN statement as “selective” and labeled it an “unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India.”
Election‑roll controversy
The protests center on allegations that a recent voter‑list revision disproportionately benefits the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been in power for more than 12 years. Reports indicate that about 130 million names have been removed from electoral rolls during a verification exercise, including 63 million people who had relocated and 30 million who could not be traced.
The Election Commission says internal disagreements are normal and denies any partisan bias. The BJP, however, has accused opposition groups of attempting to undermine India’s democracy by questioning legitimate electoral processes.
Background on the Cockroach movement
Originally an online satire, the Cockroach Janta Party evolved into a pressure group that has previously organized street protests, including a campaign against exam‑paper leaks that led to the resignation of a former education minister.
The party’s social‑media handles have labeled its current actions “Season 2,” promising to continue until the election system is reformed.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
