Photos: Thousands detained in police crackdown on India’s youth protest | Protests News
Thousands Detained in New Delhi Amid Protests Against Election Chief
NEW DELHI — Thousands of individuals were detained in New Delhi on Saturday as Indian authorities conducted a large-scale security operation to prevent a protest organized by the youth-led “Cockroach” movement, which calls for the resignation of the country’s election chief.
Police were deployed throughout the capital, blocking access to Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site. Checkpoints were established to stop buses and cars, and barricades were erected. Anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers were stationed along key routes.
Many demonstrators were intercepted before reaching central New Delhi, with police chasing them away or detaining them and taking them to temporary detention facilities. Leaders of the movement, along with opposition lawmakers and student activists, were among those detained, effectively thwarting the rally before it could commence.
Authorities stated that permission for the gathering was denied due to a late application, asserting that the measures were necessary to maintain public order. Sambit Patra, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, referred to the protesters as “anarchic elements” attempting to stage a “flop show.”
Despite the heavy police presence, some protesters managed to break through cordons, chanting slogans against Modi and the Election Commission of India (ECI) before being apprehended. College student Tanya Negi, who traveled from Mumbai, criticized the government’s response, stating, “We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Why is Modi afraid of India’s young people?”
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which leads the movement, gained traction online in May and became prominent after organizing protests related to exam paper leaks that resulted in the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July.
The current campaign focuses on the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative, which opposition parties claim has removed more than 130 million names from voter rolls, thus disenfranchising many supporters. While the ECI and the government reject allegations of political bias, critics argue that the crackdown reflects diminishing space for dissent as crucial state elections approach.
