Indian authorities have detained tens of thousands and arrested Abhijeet Dipke, leader of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ party, in a new crackdown on anti-government protests. Footage shows police escorting him off a plane after it landed in New Delhi on 10 October. He was travelling to attend a protest demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Authorities have put the capital under a strict lo…

GGuardian News2026-10-10 14:42

Police detained “cockroach movement” leader Abhijeet Dipke and two others in New Delhi, while hundreds of protesters defied a heavy security clampdown.

Eeuronews2026-10-10 14:06

India’s capital has imposed extraordinary security measures as authorities blocked roads, disrupted transport and detained protest leaders to prevent thousands from gathering in central Delhi. The Cockroach Janta Party says disputed voter-roll revisions disenfranchise citizens and undermine democracy; the government rejects the claims.

DDW News2026-10-10 13:14

Parts of New Delhi are under lockdown as authorities mount a sweeping security operation to stop a demonstration they describe as illegal. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led movement is demanding the election chief’s resignation. Police detained the party’s leader after escorting him off a plane from Mumbai; his whereabouts and those of two other detained CJP leaders are unknown.

CCNA2026-10-10 13:07

Indian police arrested the founder of a youth party before protests in New Delhi calling for the election chief to resign over alleged voter-list irregularities. Authorities tightened security, cancelled transport services and blocked internet access.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-10 09:32

Indian police detained Abhijeet Dipke, who leads the satirical Cockroach Janta Party movement, on Saturday ahead of a major protest targeting the Election Commission, the party said. SOAS South Asia Institute director Subir Sinha called the situation unprecedented.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-10 09:20

Indian police detained the head of the satirical online ‘cockroach’ movement on Saturday, the group said. The detention came ahead of a major protest targeting the Election Commission, which prompted strict security measures.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-10 09:18

India’s youth “Cockroach” movement was set to stage new protests in New Delhi on Saturday, escalating a nationwide campaign against a controversial revision of voter lists. Thousands were expected at Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site, where authorities imposed broad restrictions, including suspending mobile internet.

TThe Associated Press2026-10-10 08:58

The Cockroach Janta Party said police detained its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, in Delhi on Saturday (Oct 10). The youth movement had called a protest demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation. Local TV reported that officers met Dipke at the airport after his arrival from Mumbai and asked him to cancel the protest, which authorities had banned.

CCNA2026-10-10 08:54

Tens of thousands of security personnel have been deployed and roads barricaded in Delhi to stop the Cockroach Janta Party’s latest demonstration. The group says its leader, Abhijeet Dipke, is among hundreds reportedly detained since Friday evening. Dipke launched the movement in May, almost as a joke, after Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed young people to “cockroaches”.

BBBC News2026-10-10 08:49

Around 20,000 police are being deployed across New Delhi ahead of further protests, with large demonstrations expected over the weekend. Student groups and opposition lawmakers are demanding the top election official resign over alleged voter-roll manipulation. Changes over nearly a year have removed about 130 million entries, and protesters want the revisions scrapped and the previous lists restored.

CCNA2026-10-09 13:28

Protests have broken out in several parts of India after an Indian Express investigation raised concerns about the integrity of the Election Commission. Journalist Faye D'Souza discusses the mounting pressure on Narendra Modi's government from the opposition and the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party, as well as wider discontent in India.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-09 13:10

Protests have spread from Delhi to Bengaluru, where India’s youth “Cockroach” movement and opposition parties are calling for the election chief to resign. They oppose voter-list revisions that have removed more than 130 million names, fueling fears of mass disenfranchisement.

TThe Associated Press2026-10-08 19:43

Rahul Gandhi was taken into police custody in the Indian capital while demonstrating over voter rolls, amid an escalation in protests.

BBloomberg Television2026-10-07 23:37

At a Wednesday demonstration opposing the country's election chief, police took opposition leader Rahul Gandhi into custody alongside lawmakers and other participants.

TThe Associated Press2026-10-07 20:03

Opposition lawmakers in India are demanding the election chief’s resignation, accusing the election commission of manipulating voter registrations to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The poll body says the revision targets duplicate and ineligible entries, while critics say deletions prevented millions of eligible voters from casting ballots.

TThe Associated Press2026-10-06 17:08

Police in New Delhi briefly detained opposition members, including Rahul Gandhi, during a march by a multi-party alliance to the Election Commission headquarters. They accuse Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of manipulating votes and say voter-roll revisions removed millions of eligible voters to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP. Georgetown analyst Nandini Deo said the allegations have gained traction.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-06 15:04

Opposition leaders and supporters marched in New Delhi toward the election commission to demand the resignation of its chief. Police stopped them with barricades and briefly detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka before releasing them. The action is the latest in demonstrations that began last week.

CCNA2026-10-06 14:23

Opposition parties protested in New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of India’s election chief over a contentious revision of voter lists. Hundreds of police were deployed across central areas. The rally was the latest in near-daily demonstrations since last week by student groups, opposition parties and India’s “Cockroach” youth movement.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-06 14:06

Police briefly detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi during a protest calling for the chief election commissioner to resign. An opposition alliance is marching to the Election Commission headquarters, accusing it of removing millions of eligible voters through a roll revision to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing BJP.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-06 10:00

Protests over India’s voter-roll overhaul show little sign of easing as the Chief Justice and opposition parties intensify pressure on the Election Commission. The demonstrations could carry implications for the government.

BBloomberg Television2026-10-05 06:44

India’s Cockroach Janta Party is demanding the resignation of another senior official. The youth-led movement’s protests in July preceded the education minister’s departure; it now wants the election commission chief to step down. Critics accuse him of overseeing an unfair electoral-roll review that removed tens of millions of eligible voters, while the commission says the reform is overdue and needed to eliminate duplicate entries.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-03 17:30

Police detained protesters in New Delhi as younger Indians led rallies against alleged changes to voter rolls, calling for the resignation of Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar.

RReuters2026-10-03 16:03

The Cockroach Janta Party held a protest in Mumbai calling for the election chief to resign.

CCNA2026-10-03 08:42