Indian police detain ‘cockroach’ movement founder Dipke ahead of protest, video shows

Key Points:

• Abhijeet Dipke, founder of India’s “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), and some supporters were detained by police in Delhi ahead of a planned protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over controversial voter list revisions.
• The CJP and allied student groups have held nearly daily protests this month, alleging that the deletion of over 130 million voters from electoral rolls disproportionately affects minorities and favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, claims denied by the Election Commission and BJP.
• Dipke was detained after police warned him against protesting, with security increased and protest sites like Central Park in Connaught Place closed; student activist Neha Bora was also detained while attempting to join the protest.
• The BJP accuses opposition parties, particularly Congress, of exploiting youth protests to destabilize democracy, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condemning the demonstrations as attempts to “seize power” and misuse youth energy.
• The “cockroach” movement has posed a significant political challenge to Modi’s government, previously forcing a minister's resignation, and continues to mobilize youth and student organizations across multiple Indian cities.