Police detain leaders of India’s ‘cockroach’ movement at New Delhi protest
Indian police have detained leaders and volunteers of the youth-led 'Cockroach Janta Party' for protesting at a restricted site in New Delhi. The group is demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner over controversial voter list revisions.
Why it matters
The arrests highlight growing political tensions in India regarding election integrity and the suppression of youth-led protest movements.
Cockroach Janta Party volunteers detained after entering a popular protest site authorities had declared off-limits.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Delhi Police personnel inspect vehicles near the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi on October 13, 2026 [Arun Sankar/AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 13 Oct 2026 13 Oct 2026 Police in the Indian capital have detained leaders of the country’s youth-led “cockroach” movement after they jumped barricades to enter a popular protest site in New Delhi while calling for the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner (CEC) over voter list revisions.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde were among about 20 volunteers who “sneaked” into Jantar Mantar to “reclaim” the popular protest site and were detained on Tuesday.
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