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Cockroach Movement Says India Detained Activists Before Delhi Rally
A youth movement called the Cockroach Janta Party says many people connected to it were detained.
The reported detentions happened before a protest planned in Delhi for October 10.
The protest is asking the country’s chief election official to resign.
The movement and opposition parties say changes to voter lists could help the ruling BJP.
The BJP and the Election Commission deny that accusation.
The movement also said students traveling from Pune were detained.
Hundreds of its supporters protested in Bengaluru.
Reuters said it could not independently confirm the reported detentions or videos.
The Cockroach Janta Party said members and activists were detained ahead of its planned October 10 Delhi rally.
The rally is seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a disputed voter-list revision.
The movement’s spokesperson claimed at least 10,000 people had been detained nationwide, a figure Reuters could not verify.
The movement said students traveling from Pune to Delhi were among those detained; videos circulated on X.
The BJP and Election Commission denied allegations that the voter-list revision was intended to benefit the ruling party.
- Who
- The Cockroach Janta Party, student groups and other activists; the movement named its senior member and spokesperson Deepak Baliyan among those detained.
- What
- The movement reported mass detentions ahead of a Delhi rally seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
- Where
- Reported detentions were across India; protests took place in Bengaluru, and students from Pune were reportedly detained while traveling to Delhi.
- When
- The report is dated October 8; the planned rally was scheduled for October 10. The year is not specified in the text.
- Why
- The rally is part of protests against a revision of voter lists that the opposition and the movement allege favors the ruling BJP.
Opposition and protesters
Government and police
Detentions before the rally
Opposition and protesters
The Cockroach Janta Party said activists, students and members of other groups were detained ahead of the October 10 Delhi protest; a spokesperson claimed at least 10,000 people had been detained nationwide. Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims or social media videos.
Government and police
Police had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment on the reported detentions.
Voter-list revision
Opposition and protesters
The opposition and the Cockroach Janta Party allege the voter-list revision is being used to benefit the ruling BJP and deny people voting rights.
Government and police
The Election Commission and the BJP have denied the allegations. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the claims had no evidence.
Police action against Congress leaders
Opposition and protesters
The Congress Party accused police of using “brute force” when Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and other lawmakers were briefly detained while trying to reach a protest site.
Government and police
Delhi Police said the allegations were being used to “defame” the force.
Key facts
- Planned rally
- October 10 in Delhi
- Protest demand
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- Reported detentions
- The movement’s spokesperson claimed at least 10,000 people had been detained nationwide; Reuters could not verify the figure.
- Students mentioned
- CJP said a group of students from Pune headed to Delhi had been detained.
- Bengaluru protest
- Hundreds of CJP supporters protested earlier that day.
- Election Commission and BJP
- Both denied allegations that the voter-list revision was being used to benefit the ruling party.
- Reuters verification
- Reuters said it could not immediately verify the detention claims or videos posted on X.
Quotes
Khushi Shrivastava
A 22-year-old architecture student who attended the Bengaluru protest.
“I think voting right is the most basic point of democracy … People who actually want to vote, who actually care about the future of India, they are just being (denied) voting rights.”
theprint.in
“At least 10000 people have been detained across the country across (Cockroach Janta Party), various student orgs, Kisaan and Dalit Sangathans, political parties. THIS IS EMERGENCY.”
theprint.in
Sources
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