Understand
India 'cockroach' leaders detained after entering barricaded protest site
Overview
Leaders of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained on Tuesday after climbing police barricades into Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site to demand the resignation of the country's election chief. The detentions follow days of protests and security restrictions after authorities de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue amidst a controversial revision of electoral rolls.
Key points
- CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were detained after entering the barricaded Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi.
- The protesters chanted slogans and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial electoral roll revision.
- The federal home ministry recently de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue, offering alternative locations instead.
- Opposition parties and critics argue that the voter list revision excludes eligible voters and benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party.
- The CJP originally emerged as an online satirical movement following comments by India's Chief Justice and has since evolved into a political pressure group.