India’s ‘Cockroach’ movement leaders jailed for five days after protest

NEW DELHI: Two leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have been ordered to spend five days in jail after allegedly violating restrictions at a historic protest site in New Delhi, a move that could fuel further demonstrations over controversial voter list revisions.

CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were detained after joining a group of around a dozen protesters who crossed barricades and entered the grounds of Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, chanting slogans demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The party said a court ordered the two leaders’ detention on Wednesday. Their lawyer, Abhisht Hela, said police accused them of violating the conditions of a bond that had secured their release following an earlier detention over the weekend.

Delhi Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The arrests come amid growing demonstrations by opposition groups and student organisations, which have accused the Election Commission of making voter list changes that could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Election Commission has denied favouring any political party, saying voters whose names were wrongly removed can register again. The BJP has also rejected allegations of electoral wrongdoing.

‘We Will Not Be Frightened’

CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde, who was released on a personal bond, said the movement would not be intimidated by the imprisonment of its leaders.

He vowed to continue opposing what the party describes as government overreach.

The Cockroach movement has emerged as a visible force in youth-led protests in recent months, campaigning on issues including unemployment, government school infrastructure and alleged examination irregularities.

Earlier this year, a weeks-long sit-in by its supporters at Jantar Mantar reportedly contributed to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following controversy over examination paper leaks.

Voter List Changes Fuel Anger

The latest demonstrations followed reports that officials within the Election Commission had raised concerns about voter registration procedures, digital systems and revisions to electoral rolls.

The changes, which began last year, removed more than 130 million names from voter lists, according to figures cited in the report. These included people recorded as deceased, individuals who had relocated and voters whose whereabouts could not be established.

Opposition parties allege that the deletions disproportionately affect Muslims and other minorities, groups they say are less likely to support the ruling BJP. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected those allegations.

With the two CJP leaders facing five days in custody, tensions over electoral transparency and political accountability could intensify as opposition groups continue pressing for answers.