India detains thousands as youth protest targets Modi and election chief

Indian authorities carried out a sweeping operation in New Delhi to block a youth protest against a voter-list revision. Police detained thousands of people before they could reach Jantar Mantar, the capital’s designated protest site.

Those detained included Cockroach movement leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, opposition lawmaker John Brittas and student activists. Police also stopped vehicles entering the capital, restricted mobile internet and sealed off routes to the protest site.

Police target protest leaders

The three movement leaders were detained after arriving at Delhi airport from Mumbai. The movement said the arrests were intended to weaken the demonstration before it began.

Authorities banned gatherings of five or more people in parts of New Delhi. Anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear-gas launchers were deployed along key routes, and some journalists were briefly detained.

Police said the protest was denied permission because organizers submitted their request late. Sambit Patra, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, called the demonstrators “anarchic elements.”

Dispute involves more than 130 million names

The protests focus on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. The source says more than 130 million names have been removed so far.

Opposition parties say the changes have disenfranchised millions and disproportionately affected voters likely to support them. The government and the commission reject the allegations, saying the revision removes duplicate and ineligible entries.

Youth movement broadens anti-Modi campaign

The Cockroach movement began online in May amid protests over alleged exam paper leaks. Those demonstrations led to the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July.

The latest campaign comes midway through Modi’s third term. National elections are not due until 2029, while state elections next year in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat will test the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s standing.