📰 What Happened
Police in Delhi detained the leader of India’s ‘cockroach’ protest movement and more than 2,000 other people on Saturday. Founder Abhijeet Dipke and two senior leaders were released from detention on Sunday. Authorities locked down parts of the capital, suspended mobile internet in the central business district, and closed dozens of metro stations and markets to stop a planned rally.
🔍 The Backstory
The Cockroach Janta Party began as an online satire movement. Protesters want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over a revision of voter lists that critics say favours PM Narendra Modi’s BJP. India has seen near-daily protests facing a tough crackdown. Reports say the number of names removed from draft lists runs into the millions.
🎯 Why It Matters
It is a test of free speech and fair elections in the world’s largest democracy, and matters to anyone who cares about voting rights.

Police in Delhi detained the leader of India’s ‘cockroach’ protest movement and more than 2,000 other people on Saturday. Founder Abhijeet Dipke and two senior leaders were released from detention on Sunday. Authorities locked down parts of the capital, suspended mobile internet in the central business district, and closed dozens of metro stations and markets to stop a planned rally.

The Cockroach Janta Party began as an online satire movement. Protesters want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over a revision of voter lists that critics say favours PM Narendra Modi’s BJP. India has seen near-daily protests facing a tough crackdown. Reports say the number of names removed from draft lists runs into the millions.

It is a test of free speech and fair elections in the world’s largest democracy, and matters to anyone who cares about voting rights.

📰 Source: News Source
sbs.com.au ↗
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