Central Delhi was sealed with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel on patrol, metro stations shut, mobile internet suspended and markets closed ahead of a planned youth protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest, called by the “Cockroach” youth movement, aims to draw thousands of demonstrators seeking the election chief’s removal over a revision of voter lists that critics claim favours the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission and the BJP have denied the allegations.
Lockdown-Like Restrictions
Police teams stepped up vehicle checking at Delhi’s entry points, particularly along routes connecting the capital with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with barricades and checkpoints established to monitor movement and prevent unauthorised gatherings. Security was also strengthened around Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the heart of New Delhi.
Mobile internet services were suspended within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing, affecting areas including Connaught Place, Mandi House, Pragati Maidan and Khan Market. More than 250 long-distance trains to Delhi were cancelled, and entry and exit at dozens of metro stations remained closed.
Permission Denied
Delhi Police wrote to the organisers denying permission for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, citing a previous breakdown of law and order in the area. The organisers, led by Abhijeet Dipke of the self-named “Cockroach Janta Party” that began as an online satire, said they would gather at the historic protest ground regardless.
The party said police in several states were detaining thousands of its supporters as they headed for the protest. Amnesty International issued a statement saying Delhi police must facilitate the right to peaceful protest amid the lockdown-like restrictions.
The Voter List Row
The demonstrations follow an Indian Express report that the chief election commissioner’s deputies had questioned and disagreed with him over the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, which saw some 130 million voter names removed. Opposition parties have alleged that the revision process is being used to strip eligible voters from the rolls to benefit the ruling party.
The protests pose a fresh political challenge just months before a series of key state elections scheduled to begin in early 2027, including in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state.
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