India: 'Cockroach' leaders vow new protests after release

Key Points:

• Leaders of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesting against India's election commissioner were released after nearly 24 hours of detention but vowed to continue peaceful demonstrations, calling the fight against alleged electoral manipulation "just begun."
• India’s Supreme Court held a special hearing and ordered an end to illegal detentions, restoration of metro and railway services, and protection for lawyers and journalists after authorities detained thousands of protesters and restricted access to protest sites in Delhi.
• The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the protests as anarchistic attempts to destabilize the country, accusing opposition groups and CJP leaders of fomenting unrest following allegations of voter list manipulation.
• The United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) criticized India's mass detentions during protests, but India’s Foreign Ministry rejected the statement as unwarranted interference, defending its law enforcement actions and democratic credentials.
• Protesters demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over controversial voter roll revisions that removed around 130 million names, alleging the exercise disenfranchises minorities and benefits the ruling BJP, while the Election Commission maintains the process is legal and necessary.