New Delhi prepared for another day of youth-led demonstrations on Sunday as authorities kept a tight grip on the capital. Police had already detained more than 2,000 people and sealed off the city centre on Saturday to stop a large gathering planned by the Cockroach Janta Party. Thousands of security personnel remained deployed across the city even though metro stations reopened and mobile internet services returned to normal.
A court ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other senior leaders early on Sunday. They had been stopped at the airport on Saturday when their plane landed in Delhi. The party’s legal head said they were freed on the condition that they maintain peace for one year. Influencer Dhruv Rathee, who was also held, was released after midnight with strict orders not to join any further protests.
Most of those detained on the first day were allowed to go home late on Saturday night. Opposition parties and critics accused the government of using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators. A United Nations body urged Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly. India’s foreign ministry rejected the statement as selective and an interference in the country’s internal matters.
The protests demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Critics say a recent revision of voter lists has removed millions of names in a way that benefits the ruling party. Election Commission data shows around 130 million names were deleted during the verification drive. The Commission and the ruling party reject claims of bias and say the exercise was necessary to clean the rolls. Opposition groups argue that Muslim voters and other minorities have been hit hardest by the deletions.
The Cockroach Janta Party started as an online satire but grew into a real pressure group after earlier street protests over exam paper leaks. It has labelled the current campaign “Season 2” and insists it will continue until India’s election system is reformed. Security forces remain on high alert as the capital watches for any fresh attempts to hold rallies in the coming days.
