{"id":7871,"date":"2026-10-10T12:50:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T12:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7871"},"modified":"2026-10-10T12:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T12:50:36","slug":"india-cracks-down-on-youth-protests-as-anger-grows-against-modi-and-election-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7871","title":{"rendered":"India cracks down on youth protests as anger grows against Modi and election chief"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Protesters shout slogans from a police vehicle after being detained during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Oct. 10. AP-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW DELHI \u2014 Indian authorities deployed a sweeping security crackdown across New Delhi and detained thousands of protesters Saturday as India’s youth \u201cCockroach\u201d movement sought to intensify a nationwide campaign against a contentious voter list revision that has fueled anger at Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist government and election authorities.<\/p>\n

Police intercepted demonstrators before they could reach Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the heart of India’s capital, chasing off some and detaining many others. Some were dragged away before being bundled into police vehicles and taken to temporary detention centers. Several \u201cCockroach\u201d movement leaders were detained before arriving, effectively crippling the protest ahead of its start.<\/p>\n

The crackdown extended beyond the protest venue, with police stopping buses, cars and other vehicles at checkpoints on routes into the capital and searching for demonstrators.<\/p>\n

Jantar Mantar was barricaded, while anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers were stationed along key routes. Restrictions on mobile internet and access to parts of the city added to the hurdles facing protesters.<\/p>\n

Police said Friday they had denied permission for the protest because the request was submitted late.<\/p>\n

The scale of the crackdown underscored the authorities\u2019 determination to disrupt a fast-growing protest campaign that has mobilized thousands of young people, drawn opposition support and intensified scrutiny of Modi. The protests also come at a politically sensitive time, months after demonstrations led by the \u201cCockroach\u201d movement over exam paper leaks forced Modi\u2019s education minister to resign in July.<\/p>\n

Police detain leaders and tighten grip around protest site<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leaders of the \u201cCockroach\u201d movement Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were expected to be at the forefront of the protest, were detained after arriving at Delhi airport from Mumbai on Saturday. A video shared by the \u201cCockroach Janta Party\u201d on X showed police boarding the aircraft and detaining the three men.<\/p>\n

\"Police<\/picture>
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Police detain protesters during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Oct. 10. AP-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe pre-planned interception by Delhi Police aims to cripple the leadership of today\u2019s peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site,\u201d the movement said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Loudspeakers around the protest site warned that gatherings of five or more people were banned in parts of New Delhi, as authorities imposed sweeping security restrictions rarely seen in the capital. Journalists also faced restrictions in some areas.<\/p>\n

Some protesters nevertheless broke through police cordons, chanting slogans against Modi and election authorities before being detained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Shouldn\u2019t we fight for our rights,\u201d said Tanya Negi, a college student who traveled from Mumbai with two friends and arrived early Saturday. \u201cWhy is Modi afraid of India\u2019s young people?\u201d<\/p>\n

India\u2019s voter list dispute raises election fairness concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n

The protests center on India’s Election Commission\u2019s Special Intensive Revision, which the opposition says has disenfranchised millions of eligible voters. Protesters demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the change, which has removed more than 130 million names from voter lists so far.<\/p>\n

The Election Commission and the government reject allegations of voter manipulation, saying the revision is intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries.<\/p>\n

The dispute has become a rallying point for opposition parties seeking to challenge Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.<\/p>\n

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A protester shouts slogans from a police vehicle after being detained during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Oct. 10. AP-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saturday’s planned demonstration follows days of protests in the Indian capital where opposition lawmakers also stepped up their campaign, with Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi being briefly detained by police.<\/p>\n

Gandhi and other opposition leaders have accused the commission of conducting the voter revision in a way that benefits Modi\u2019s party. The opposition says voters more likely to support its parties have been disproportionately affected by the removals, while supporters of the BJP have been spared or added to the lists.<\/p>\n

The commission and the government deny the allegations.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s youth movement broadens campaign against Modi<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the \u201cCockroach\u201d movement, the voter list dispute offers an opportunity to broaden its campaign.<\/p>\n

The movement began online in May and gained prominence through demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes over alleged exam paper leaks. Those protests culminated in the resignation of Modi\u2019s education minister in July, a rare political setback for a prime minister who has maintained a firm hold on national power for more than 12 years.<\/p>\n

For Modi, the protests pose a challenge midway through his third term, though their political impact remains unclear. National elections are not due until 2029, but state elections next year in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, India\u2019s most populous state, and Gujarat, Modi\u2019s home state, will test the party\u2019s standing.<\/p>\n

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Protesters shout slogans from a police vehicle after being detained during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Oct. 10. AP-Yonhap NEW DELHI \u2014 Indian authorities deployed a sweeping security crackdown across New Delhi and detained thousands of protesters Saturday as India’s youth \u201cCockroach\u201d movement sought to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t