India’s Cockroach Janta Party Leaders Detained After Protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar
Protesters Defy Police Barricades as Opposition Demands Election Commission Chief’s Resignation
Cockroach Janta Party protesters enter Delhi’s Jantar Mantar as police enforce restrictions on demonstrations
NEW DELHI: Leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained on Tuesday after protesters entered Jantar Mantar, an iconic protest site in New Delhi that police had sealed off, the group said.
The incident comes amid growing demonstrations by opposition parties and supporters of the movement. Protesters are demanding the resignation of India’s election commission chief over allegations that voter rolls were manipulated to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.
The Election Commission of India has denied any wrongdoing.
Delhi Police announced on Monday that Jantar Mantar would no longer remain a designated official protest site. Authorities have blocked access to the area with yellow metal barricades and deployed a heavy police presence.
However, a video posted online by CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday showed protesters climbing over the barricades and entering the site. They waved the Indian national flag before police chased and detained them.
The CJP said those detained included leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde. The group described the action as an attempt to reclaim Jantar Mantar for public protest.
“You cannot denotify the resistance,” Dipke wrote in a social media post directed at Modi.
Police Designate Alternative Protest Sites
Delhi Police announced three alternative locations for official demonstrations on Monday. The decision affects a site that has hosted protests for decades, including earlier CJP demonstrations.
The group previously staged protests over an examination scandal that led to India’s education minister stepping down in July, according to the supplied report.
Opposition parties and movement supporters have taken to the streets in recent days despite tighter security restrictions. They accuse the election authorities of manipulating voter lists to favour Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations. The dispute has added to tensions over electoral oversight and the right to demonstrate in the Indian capital.
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Modi Calls India the ‘Mother of Democracy’
Modi addressed a business conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, describing India as the “mother of democracy”. He did not directly address the demonstrations in his remarks.
He said people in India openly debate a wide range of issues and discuss differing perspectives.
The detentions at Jantar Mantar highlight the ongoing confrontation between protesters seeking changes in election oversight and authorities enforcing restrictions on demonstrations.
