India's 'cockroach' movement chief detained ahead of major protest
Indian police detained leaders of the satirical 'Cockroach Janta Party' ahead of a planned protest against the Election Commission. The movement alleges misconduct in voter-roll revisions, while the government maintains the process is standard procedure.
Why it matters
The crackdown highlights ongoing tensions regarding democratic processes and freedom of assembly in India.
NEW DELHI: Indian police detained the head of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) online movement on Saturday (Oct 10) ahead of a major protest it called against the Election Commission, the party said.
Abhijeet Dipke (pic) and two other leaders were detained before disembarking from a flight in the capital New Delhi, where the demonstration was due to take place, the youth-led CJP said in a social media post.
The protests are the culmination of weeks of opposition mobilisation following allegations of misconduct during a nationwide voter-roll revision by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Opposition parties and critics say the revision could disenfranchise millions of voters and benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The ECI has rejected allegations of impropriety in the "special intensive revision", saying it was intended to remove duplicate and ineligible voters.
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