India's 'cockroach' protesters set to return despite police crackdown
The Cockroach Janta Party, a youth-led movement in India, is planning further protests in Delhi despite police crackdowns and the jailing of its leaders. The movement, which began as a response to derogatory comments by the chief justice, has evolved into a broader campaign for electoral reform and the right to protest.
Why it matters
It highlights growing civil unrest and the tension between youth-led grassroots movements and state authorities regarding democratic rights in India.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Several protesters were detained during last week's protests
Thousands of 'cockroach' protesters are set to return to the streets of Delhi on Friday, days after police prevented their last mass demonstration and two of their leaders were jailed.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement seeking electoral reforms, has called on supporters to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place, a busy commercial district.
The call follows the jailing of two CJP leaders for five days after they entered Jantar Mantar, a protest site recently declared off-limits by police.
What began as a campaign against alleged electoral fraud has since become a wider fight over the right to protest. Central Park is not an approved protest venue either.
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