Police in New Delhi detained leaders of India's Cockroach Janta Party early on Tuesday after they breached barricades at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of the country's chief election commissioner.
Video footage showed party figures Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, accompanied by others, climbing over police barriers while waving the Indian flag and chanting slogans. Party founder Abhijeet Dipke later shared recordings showing both men being escorted away by police officers.
The demonstration targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over an electoral roll revision that has removed tens of millions of names. Opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi argue the revisions unfairly benefit his governing party, an allegation both his party and the Election Commission reject.
The detentions followed a decision by the federal home ministry on Monday to withdraw Jantar Mantar's status as a designated demonstration venue. Authorities instead announced three alternative locations where protests could take place with official permission. The party had previously approached Delhi Police for clearance to hold a peaceful gathering at the site.
"You cannot denotify the resistance," Dipke wrote on social platform X following the detentions, while Das stated online that the location had been "reclaimed." Ranka later broadcast live on Instagram from inside a police bus, telling viewers that the detainees would not back down.
Capital authorities have maintained tight security following days of unrest. Over the weekend, thousands of people—including several journalists—were temporarily detained, metro stations were closed, and rail services faced disruption as thousands of police and paramilitary personnel blocked access to the area.
The controversy has spread across the wider political opposition. On Monday, opposition parties marched from Connaught Place to the Supreme Court, while the main opposition Congress party filed a petition challenging the voter list revision, warning that the process risks disenfranchising eligible citizens.
