‘Cockroach’ party leader released as Delhi braces for second day of protests
More than 2,000 people were reportedly detained on Saturday, prompting criticism of Modi’s ruling government
TL;DR
- Youth protests demanding the resignation of India's election chief over voter list revisions have intensified in Delhi.
- Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the 'Cockroach Janta party' (CJP), and two other leaders were released after being detained.
- Thousands of protesters were detained in a crackdown on Saturday, with police and paramilitary forces deployed across the city.
- The protests are fueled by concerns that voter list revisions disproportionately benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP).
- The UN human rights office expressed concerns over mass detentions and urged authorities to respect peaceful assembly and engage in dialogue.
- India's foreign ministry called the UN's statement an "unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India".
- The CJP, which started as online satire, has become a pressure group advocating for electoral reforms.
- Election Commission data shows millions of names deleted from electoral rolls, with the BJP and the commission denying allegations of manipulation.