India detains thousands, locks down Delhi to foil election chief protest

Security forces in India detained thousands of demonstrators and locked down central areas of New Delhi on Saturday to suppress a major demonstration demanding the stepping down of the nation's chief election official.

Authorities deployed substantial numbers of police and paramilitary units across the capital, halted mobile internet coverage in the central business sector, and closed numerous transit stations and shopping areas. The security measures were aimed at stopping a planned rally by the Cockroach youth movement at Jantar Mantar, which was cordoned off before participants could assemble.

An official from the home ministry told Reuters that more than 2,000 individuals were taken into custody in Delhi. According to local media reports, approximately 400 people were also detained in Mumbai. Among those held were Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior officials Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were stopped by officers after their flight arrived in Delhi from Mumbai. Television coverage also showed the detention of several prominent opposition figures and former chief ministers, including Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, and Pinarayi Vijayan, along with several journalists who were briefly held.

The agitation focuses on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following a widespread revision of voter rolls that critics argue unfairly aided Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Tension increased after reports indicated two election commissioners had raised questions about roll adjustments that resulted in roughly 130 million voter entries being removed. Official figures indicate the purged records included 63 million relocated individuals, 30 million untraceable names, and 28 million deceased persons. The Election Commission maintained that these actions were part of standard draft updating and that eligible citizens could register again.

International concern arose swiftly, with the United Nations human rights office urging Indian officials to uphold the right to peaceful assembly and pursue open dialogue. Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan noted worries regarding widespread detentions surrounding the planned event. India's diplomatic mission in Geneva rejected the statement as misplaced and an inappropriate interference in domestic matters, stating that constitutional rights to assembly remain subject to legal limits ensuring public order.

The ruling BJP and the election agency have denied accusations of wrongdoing, maintaining that government election victories reflect broad public support and economic gains rather than manipulated rolls. Senior party leaders claimed opposition groups were using street demonstrations after losing at the ballot box. Meanwhile, organizers from the Cockroach movement pledged that demonstrations would persist until Kumar departs his post.