An armored vehicle with a banner warning citizens against illegal gatherings stands near the scene of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country’s election chief, Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Manish Swarup/AP
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Manish Swarup/AP
Indian authorities deployed a massive security operation in New Delhi and arrested thousands of protesters on Saturday as India’s “Cockroach” youth movement sought to intensify a nationwide campaign against a controversial overhaul of the electoral roll that has fueled anger against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government and election authorities.
Police intercepted the protesters before they could reach Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the heart of the Indian capital, chasing some away and arresting many others. Some were evacuated before being crammed into police vehicles and taken to temporary detention centers. Several leaders of the “Cockroaches” movement were arrested before their arrival, thus paralyzing the demonstration before it began.
The crackdown extended beyond the protest site, with police stopping buses, cars and other vehicles at checkpoints on roads leading to the capital and searching for demonstrators.
Jantar Mantar was barricaded, while anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers were stationed along key roads. Restrictions on mobile internet and access to parts of the city have added to the obstacles protesters face.
Police said Friday they had refused permission to protest because the request was submitted late.
The scale of the crackdown underscored authorities’ determination to disrupt a growing protest campaign that has mobilized thousands of young people, attracted opposition support and intensified surveillance of Modi. The protests also come at a politically sensitive time, months after protests led by the “Cockroaches” movement over leaked exam papers forced Modi’s education minister to resign in July.
Police arrest leaders, tighten control around protest site
Leaders of the ‘Cockroaches’ movement Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were expected to be at the forefront of the protest, were arrested on Saturday after their arrival at Delhi airport from Mumbai. A video shared by the “Cockroach Janta Party” on X showed police boarding the plane and arresting the three men.
“The planned interception by Delhi Police is aimed at paralyzing the leaders of today’s peaceful protests even before they reach the protest site,” the movement said in a statement.
Loudspeakers around the protest site warned that gatherings of five or more people were banned in parts of New Delhi as authorities imposed draconian security restrictions rarely seen in the capital. Journalists also faced restrictions in some areas.
Some demonstrators nevertheless broke police lines, chanting slogans against Modi and the electoral authorities before being arrested.
“We are a democracy, but peaceful protests are crushed by force. Shouldn’t we fight for our rights,” said Tanya Negi, a student who came from Mumbai with two friends and arrived early on Saturday. “Why is Modi afraid of young Indians?”
The crackdown drew criticism from opposition leaders, who accused the government of curbing dissent.
“Is there a democracy in this country? A total siege of the city. Citizens are being driven out,” opposition lawmaker John Brittas told the Associated Press.
India’s electoral roll dispute raises election fairness concerns
The protests focus on the Election Commission of India’s intensive special review, which the opposition says has disenfranchised millions of eligible voters. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the change, which has so far removed more than 130 million names from the electoral rolls.
The Electoral Commission and the government reject allegations of voter manipulation, saying the revision aims to eliminate duplicate and ineligible registrations.
The conflict has become a rallying point for opposition parties seeking to challenge Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The demonstration planned for Saturday follows several days of protests in the Indian capital, where opposition lawmakers have also stepped up their campaign, with Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi briefly detained by police.
Gandhi and other opposition leaders have accused the commission of conducting the electoral review in a way that benefits Modi’s party. The opposition says voters most likely to support its parties were disproportionately affected by the deletions, while BJP supporters were spared or added to the lists.
The commission and the government deny these allegations.
Indian youth movement expands campaign against Modi
For the “Cockroach” movement, the conflict over the electoral list offers the opportunity to expand its campaign.
The movement began online in May and grew to prominence through protests, sit-ins and hunger strikes over alleged leaked exam papers. Those protests culminated in the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July, a rare political setback for a prime minister who has maintained a firm grip on national power for more than 12 years.
For Modi, the protests pose a challenge midway through his third term, even if their political impact remains uncertain. National elections are not due until 2029, but national elections next year in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and Gujarat, Modi’s home state, will test the party’s position.
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