Thousands Detained During Police Operation Against Youth Protest in New Delhi

Thousands of people were detained across New Delhi on October 11, 2026, as Indian authorities conducted a security operation to prevent a protest by the youth-led "cockroach" movement, which is demanding the resignation of the country’s election chief. Police deployed throughout the capital to block access to Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, stopping vehicles at checkpoints, erecting barricades, and using anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers along key routes. Many demonstrators were intercepted before reaching central New Delhi, with police chasing them away or detaining them in temporary centers. Several movement leaders, opposition lawmakers, and student activists were also detained, effectively stopping the rally before it began. Authorities stated they denied permission for the gathering due to a late request and insisted that the measures were necessary to maintain order. Sambit Patra, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, referred to the protesters as "anarchic elements" staging a "flop show." Despite the police presence, some protesters managed to breach police cordons, chanting slogans against Modi and the Election Commission of India (ECI) before being detained. College student Tanya Negi, who traveled from Mumbai, stated, "We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Why is Modi afraid of India’s young people?" The movement, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), emerged online in May and gained attention through protests over exam paper leaks that resulted in the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July. Its current campaign targets the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which opposition parties claim has removed over 130 million names from voter rolls, disenfranchising supporters. The ECI and the government deny any political bias, but critics argue that the crackdown indicates a diminishing space for dissent as key state elections approach.