Thousands of participants in youth protest detained in New Delhi — NPR
Indian police in New Delhi detained thousands of people who planned to take part in a mass youth protest against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the revision of electoral rolls. Law enforcement officers intercepted demonstrators on their way to Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the center of the capital, NPR reports.
Detentions and restrictions in the capital
Police set up checkpoints on roads leading into the city, stopping buses, cars and other transport to identify participants in the rally. The Jantar Mantar area was blocked off with barricades, while vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers were deployed along key routes. Restrictions were also imposed on mobile internet and access to some parts of New Delhi.
Police said they did not permit the protest because the application was submitted late. Through loudspeakers near the protest site, people were warned about a ban on gatherings of five or more people in parts of the capital. Despite this, some protesters broke through police cordons and chanted slogans against Modi and electoral authorities, after which they were detained.
Dispute over voter rolls
The protest was organized by the youth movement “Cockroach,” which demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the special intensive revision of the voter register. The opposition claims that the process has deprived millions of voters of their right to vote. More than 130 million names have already been removed from the rolls.
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The Election Commission and the government reject allegations of manipulation, saying that the revision is intended to remove duplicate entries and records of people who are not eligible to vote. Movement leaders Abhijit Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving from Mumbai at Delhi airport.
Opposition support
The protests come after several days of demonstrations in the capital involving opposition lawmakers. Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi was previously briefly detained by police. Opposition politicians say the revision of electoral rolls could benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The “Cockroach” movement began online in May and gained popularity through protests, sit-ins and hunger strikes over alleged leaks of examination questions. Following those protests, India’s education minister resigned in July.
