[🇮🇳] Cockroach Janta Party of India

[Saif]

India’s ‘cockroach’ leaders vow to keep up election protests

India’s youth-led “Cockroach” movement vowed to continue protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged misconduct in voter-roll revisions. Leaders were detained and released; thousands were also detained amid a Delhi security crackdown. Authorities...

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India’s ‘cockroach’ leaders vow to keep up election protests


The youth movement has emerged as one of the most significant political challenges to Modi during his third term in power, winning millions of followers on social media since it was launched in May as a satirical party.

 

[Saif]

https://www.newagebd.net/post/bangladesh/317518/abducted-phones-taken-no-lawyer-cockroach-party-alleges-against-delhi-police

‘Abducted, phones taken, no lawyer’: Cockroach Party alleges against Delhi Police

New Age Online

Cockroach Janata Party leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das spoke at a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday.


Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das came down heavily on the Centre at their first press conference after coming out of 24-hour detention by the Delhi Police, reports Hindustan Times.

Saurav Das said the entire country was in an emergency-like situation, with protesters being detained, transport curbs in place and internet services shut down in parts of the national capital.

Police had detained several thousand people before the protest rally in New Delhi on Saturday, calling for the resignation of Indian Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Election Commission figures indicate that around 130 million entries were removed during the verification exercise, including names of people who had relocated, could not be traced or had died.

Protesters argue that the process could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters and disproportionately affect minority communities.

Abhijeet Dipke and two other Cockroach Janta Party leaders were detained before they could disembark from their flight after arriving in the capital from Mumbai.

They were released early hours on Sunday.

At the press conference in New Delhi on Sunday afternoon, Saurav Das said entire Delhi is like a fort with 40,000 personnel.

‘They are trying to give a negative image to our movement...by shutting 50+ metro stations, shops, roads. They want to put the genZ movement in bad light,’ he said.

They spoke to media following a huge demonstration in New Delhi on Sunday

The CJP leader continued his attack on the Modi government, saying they knew they would be detained but did not expect it to happen this way.

‘When we landed, police immediately jumped into the stairs leading to the plane and abducted us,’ he said.

Saurav added their phones were taken away after their detention and they were told that no lawyer could be provided to them during detention.

‘They gave us no papers or grounds of detention. They seized our phones forcefully using female cops. We still gave our phones and asked for seizure memo but they refused to do so...We have a legal right to a lawyer but police said no. They said that under detention, we have no rights. Imagine what they must be doing to others.’

Saurav then alleged that their phones might have been cloned.

‘We suspect what all they must have done to our phones. We think they hacked our phones. Or cloned our phones. Maybe they planted evidence. And this is a rational doubt. Since they gave us no document and had our phones for over 24 hours,’ he said.

He said the government was doing all this to protest Gyanesh Kumar, whom he described as a traitor.

CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh accused the Delhi Police of harassing protesters and their families, alleging that officers visited volunteers' homes and intimidated their parents from Friday night through Saturday.

Calling the government ‘scared’, Singh alleged that police were acting at the government's behest.

She claimed that she was followed by the Intelligence Bureau after landing in Delhi and that officers chased her as though she were a criminal.

‘Four police personnel came to my apartment. They harassed my flatmates by ringing doorbell in the morning . Later, when I left and was sitting in car. All of a sudden, four cars came and detained me by surrounding me from two sides.

‘I was sitting between 4 cars for 9 hours in Jangpura. This caused problem for all residents. They kept saying they got orders from above. 30-35 officials came and said either I should come to detention center or get house arrested. How can you wrongfully confine us,’ Ratna said.​

 

[Saif]

https://www.newagebd.net/post/bangladesh/317495/cockroach-janta-party-vows-to-resume-protest-for-the-second-straight-day

Cockroach Janta Party vows to resume protest for the second straight day

New Age Online

The Cockroach Janta Party has vowed to resume its protest for the second straight day after on Sunday an estimated 7,000 people were detained across city the previous day, reports Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police will continue its clampdown across central Delhi on Sunday, keeping Jantar Mantar sealed, maintaining barricades at the capital’s borders and diverting traffic at 30 points.

The fresh round of restrictions comes as CJP leaders insist they will not back down until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns.

While security restrictions will continue, the curbs on metro and rail services are being lifted.

Ajinkya Shinde, who was designated by the group to lead the agitation after its leader Abhijeet Dipke was taken into custody, said protesters would attempt to reach Jantar Mantar again on Sunday and continue their agitation until their demands were met.

‘The government thought we would back down after the detention of Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. But we won’t. We will continue our agitation till Gyanesh Kumar resigns,’ Shinde said.

All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora also announced the protest would continue in a late-night post on X on Saturday.

‘Let a hundred Jantar Mantars bloom! Another part of Delhi will become Jantar Mantar tomorrow,’ she said.

40,000 security personnel deployed across Delhi

Quoting officials, Hindustan Times reports police will try to prevent protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar or entering the New Delhi district on Sunday.

Movement on key roads will be regulated depending on the situation on the ground, officials said, adding that police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel would remain deployed until the situation eased.

More than 40,000 security personnel were deployed on Saturday, including 26,000 reinforcements. It was the largest such deployment in Delhi since February 2020.

Jantar Mantar, the intended site of Saturday’s demonstration, remained sealed, with even journalists barred from entering. Loudspeakers at three entry and exit points broadcast warnings in Hindi and English.

Restrictions on gatherings, processions and road blockades under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita will remain in force until further orders, officials said.

At the borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, police have set up two tiers of barricades at Chilla, Ghazipur, Apsara and Singhu. Local police and paramilitary personnel will continue to man these crossings on Sunday.

Metro and train services return to normal

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a post around 10pm on Saturday that the entry and exit gates of all metro stations had reopened. Neither the DMRC nor the Delhi government's excise department had received a request from Delhi Police to close metro stations or liquor shops on Sunday as of Saturday.

Northern Railway's chief public relations officer said the restrictions on rail services applied only until Saturday.

Traffic restrictions, however, will continue. The Delhi Traffic Police will divert vehicles from 6am on Sunday at the same 30 points as on Saturday, “depending upon prevailing situation”.

Opposition protest on Monday

Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc has announced a separate protest for Monday, with top opposition leaders set to march to the Supreme Court and urge it to expedite cases related to the Special Intensive Revision and the Election Commission.

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was detained on Saturday during a silent protest outside the residence of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on South Avenue. She was taken to Dwarka in a prison van.

Banerjee said Rahul Gandhi had asked her to stay in Delhi for Monday's march.​

 

[Saif]

Thousands march in India's capital to demand election chief resign

Thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of India's election chief over alleged misconduct during a voter roll revision, the latest showdown with authorities in the heavily fortified capital. Opposition parties and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach...

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Thousands march in India's capital to demand election chief resign

AFP
New Delhi

India's opposition party members march to the Supreme Court in protest against a controversial revision of voter lists that has sparked days of unrest, in New Delhi, India, 12 October, 2026.REUTERS

Thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of India's election chief over alleged misconduct during a voter roll revision, the latest showdown with authorities in the heavily fortified capital.

Opposition parties and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party protest movement have taken to the streets in recent days, defying a strict security clampdown to demand a halt to the revision exercise and the resignation of the chief election commissioner.

"You can see how big the crowd is," demonstrator Abhay Aryan, 28, told AFP as protesters marched towards the Supreme Court, chanting slogans and waving placards.

"The government has to listen to the voice of the people."

Critics say the large-scale revision of electoral lists could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Election Commission of India, which oversees the voting process in the world's most populous nation, has denied wrongdoing.

A protester who gave his name as Mehvaish said he could no longer "tolerate the injustices" meted out by Modi's government.

"We want removal of this government (because) of all the injustices we have suffered in the past 12-13 years," he said.

"Now if they take away our right to vote, what is left with us?"

Rights advocates and critics say Modi's government has eroded democratic freedoms during more than a decade in power, citing pressure on journalists, civil society groups and political opponents -- allegations the government rejects.

A protester shouts a slogan while lying on a fallen police barricade as opposition parties march to the Supreme Court to protest a controversial revision of voter lists that has sparked days of unrest in New Delhi, India, 12 October, 2026. REUTERS

Thousands detained

Authorities deployed thousands of security personnel across central Delhi for a third straight day, erecting heavy metal barricades and closing key metro stations.

The protests on Monday were led by Rahul Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party, who waved a copy of the constitution as crowds cheered during the procession to the Supreme Court.

He later filed a writ petition in the court through his lawyer, challenging the voter revision exercise.

Public attention has also focused on the police response, after a chaotic weekend in which thousands of protesters including organisers were detained, according to local media reports.

Most of those detained, including three top leaders of the "cockroach" movement, have since been released.

Opposition figures have accused authorities of trying to suppress dissent through mass detentions.

Parliamentarian John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged he was "manhandled, dragged, assaulted" by police during Sunday's demonstrations.

"This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law," Brittas said.

Police did not respond to questions on detentions or their actions during a news conference on Sunday.

Several journalists covering the protest said they were detained despite prominently displaying their press cards.

Nitin Katiyar, a digital journalist, told The Times of India newspaper police had punched him in the eye. AFP could not immediately verify his charge.

Security personnel cross over barricades to stop protestors as opposition parties march to the Supreme Court to protest a controversial revision of voter lists that has sparked days of unrest, in New Delhi, India, 12 October, 2026. REUTERS

'Spirit of resistance'

Hundreds of yellow metal barricades were set up on roads leading to central Delhi, while six major metro stations remained shut.

The protests have become a major political challenge for Modi, drawing together opposition parties, student groups and activists angered by the voter roll revision.

The leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, which has millions of social media followers, have pledged to continue their protests until Kumar steps down.

They reiterated that pledge on Monday after Delhi Police announced that Jantar Mantar in the heart of Delhi was no longer designated as an official protest site.

"If Modi thinks taking away Jantar Mantar will put an end to protests, he is mistaken," the group's founder Abhijeet Dipke said on social media.

"Jantar Mantar is not just a location but a spirit of resistance that nobody can ever take away."

The revision of voter rolls that started last year has resulted in more than 133 million names being removed from electoral lists, according to media reports.

Critics say the measure has disproportionately affected minorities, particularly Muslims.

Election authorities say the move was intended to eliminate duplicate, deceased and fraudulent entries.

A senior minister from Modi's party accused Gandhi's Congress on Monday of trying to undermine legitimate electoral processes.

"By discrediting constitutional institutions (and) spreading chaos and riots on the streets, all that the Congress is seeking is to seize power," Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters.​

 

[Saif]

https://www.newagebd.net/post/south-asia/317685/protesters-chant-vote-thief-at-india-opposition-march

Protesters chant ‘vote thief’ at India opposition march
Agence France-Presse . New Delhi, India

A student activist aligned with left-wing organisations holds a poster of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing protest in solidarity with the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of the country’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter roll irregularities linked to the special intensive revision, in Kolkata on October 11, 2026. | AFP photo

Waving giant India flags and chanting ‘vote thief’, thousands of protesters poured onto the streets of New Delhi on Monday to demand the resignation of the country’s election chief.

The protest march, led by Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress party, is the latest in a series of rallies in the capital over a large-scale voter roll revision that critics say could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Opposition parties and supporters of the ‘cockroach’ youth movement have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Election Commission of India has denied any wrongdoing.

‘This is bigger than anything,’ said protester Anjali, 21, her voice competing with drums, whistles and slogans echoing down a packed stretch of road leading to the Supreme Court.

‘It is a fight to save the very fabric of the country. It is the duty of every citizen to raise their voice and protest till he (Kumar) resigns.’

The sea of demonstrators marked a dramatic reversal from the weekend, when authorities detained thousands, including journalists, and placed much of the capital under a virtual lockdown to thwart any major rally.

The government has come under fire for its high-handed response to the protests over the weekend.

Most of those detained have been released.

Police have not commented on the detentions.

On Monday, police largely stood by as the crowd surged through central Delhi in a colourful procession with flags and banners fluttering above.

The call to protest came from Gandhi, who urged everyone who ‘believes in democracy’ to join the march regardless of political affiliation.

Gandhi travelled briefly in an open bus through the crowd, waving a copy of India’s constitution.

Some protesters carried oversized replicas of the constitution’s cover, while others climbed atop parked buses meant to ferry detainees.

Along the route, office workers crowded balconies and peered through windows from buildings lining the avenue.

The revision of voter rolls resulted in more than 133 million names being removed from electoral lists, according to media reports.

Critics say the measure has disproportionately affected minorities, particularly Muslims.

Election authorities say the move was intended to eliminate duplicate, deceased and fraudulent entries.

Protester Abhay Aryan, 28, said he was happy to be able to join the rally on Monday, two days after he was briefly detained by authorities.

‘You can see how big the crowd is,’ he told AFP.

‘The government has to listen to the voice of the people.’​