Thousands are expected to march in Delhi on Saturday as anger mounts over controversial changes to voter lists in the world’s largest democracy. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as a satirical movement but is now emerging as a political force among Gen Z, claims that authorities have begun detaining its members en masse just days before a major anti-government protest.
Background
Opposition parties, their student units, and the “Cockroach” youth movement have been holding almost daily demonstrations seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of voter lists. The CJP spokesperson, Ashutosh Ranka, stated in a post on X that “at least 10,000” people from CJP demonstrations, student organizations, affiliated grassroots groups, and political parties had been detained across the country.
Recent Developments
Police authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Videos shared on social media showed activists being taken away in vans. Among those detained was a group of students from Pune who were headed for the protest in Delhi on October 10. The CJP reported that these students were taken away in a bus to an unknown location.
The nationwide voter list review, known as the special intensive revision, has been conducted in most of India’s states and federally administered territories. So far, more than 130 million names have been removed, a number larger than the populations of countries like Japan and Mexico. Millions have appealed against these deletions, with the opposition claiming that the removals disproportionately affect voters who support them, while those likely to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party have been preserved or added to the lists.
