NEW DELHI: Leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) vowed on Sunday to continue protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after being released from detention following a security crackdown on protesters in the capital.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other senior leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained on Saturday after their flight landed in New Delhi ahead of a planned rally. They were released by a magistrate’s court on Sunday.
The movement has accused the Election Commission of India of manipulating voter lists to benefit Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The commission has denied wrongdoing in the nationwide revision of electoral rolls.
The dispute has triggered weeks of opposition mobilisation, with protesters demanding Kumar’s resignation and raising concerns about the removal of millions of names from electoral lists.
Canaught palace के पास का सीन, छात्रों की हुंकार, https://t.co/a6GHhWJyrt
— Cockroaches of India (@CJP_for_India) October 11, 2026
“We will not back down,” Das said at a news conference after his release, urging people to take part in peaceful demonstrations.
Ranka said the conditions attached to the leaders’ release did not prevent them from staging peaceful protests. He argued that demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in Delhi, were a constitutional right.
Mumbai Police detained protesters at Shivaji Park, gathered for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation Police detained and took them to Worli Police Camp! You can detain us, but you cannot silence us. Cockroaches never die. https://t.co/QReUmvbvUn
— Ajinkya Shinde (@AjinkyaCJP) October 11, 2026
Major Crackdown Against Youth Protesters
Authorities had imposed sweeping restrictions across central Delhi ahead of Saturday’s planned rally. Police and paramilitary personnel erected barricades, while metro stations were closed and major rail services disrupted, according to media reports.
A peaceful protest in New Delhi, India, has suddenly erupted into violent clashes between protesters and security forces. Tensions are escalating as the situation takes a dramatic turn. https://t.co/2XYf0XATUn
— International Relations (@Intl_Relations0) October 10, 2026
At least 45 metro stations were reported closed, while train services were cancelled or disrupted. Internet access was also curtailed around the protest area.
Media reports said around 7,000 protesters were detained and later released on Saturday. Hundreds more were reportedly detained on Sunday as demonstrators returned to the streets for a second consecutive day.
The BBC reported that police repeatedly detained demonstrators who attempted to cross barricades. Some protesters were taken away in buses, while others shouted slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation.
Delhi: Police detain protesters demonstrating against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission of India (ECI) at Connaught Place https://t.co/JqvCSLSlwr
— IANS (@ians_india) October 11, 2026
Activist Neha Bora was among those detained on Sunday, the BBC reported.
The Supreme Court held a special hearing on Sunday over the detentions and restrictions imposed on the city. Justice Joymalya Bagchi said peaceful protesters should not be detained illegally and that any detention must follow legal procedures.
The court also directed authorities to ensure internet connectivity was not disrupted and that metro and rail services operated normally unless restrictions were necessary to maintain public order, according to media reports. It further called for free movement to be permitted.
The United Nations human rights office called for the immediate and unconditional release of people it described as having been arbitrarily detained in Delhi.
Leaders Pledge to Continue Protests
After his release, Dipke criticised Modi in a post on X, saying the prime minister was “an embarrassment to India”.
In another post, Dipke said he would travel to his village to attend his grandmother’s funeral. She had died around the time of his arrest, he added.
“The CJP will neither back down nor be intimidated,” Dipke wrote.
Heading back to my village to be with my family during this moment of grief. Saurav and Ashu will address a press conference shortly in Delhi. The CJP will neither back down nor be intimidated. October 10 will go down as the beginning of the end of this dictatorship.
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 11, 2026
Police said the three leaders were released on the condition that they would not engage in a breach of peace for one year. CJP lawyer Ratna Singh also referred to the condition in a social media post.
Ranka disputed any suggestion that the condition barred peaceful demonstrations. He accused Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar of being responsible for breaches of peace.
The CJP called for further protests after its leaders and other activists were detained on Saturday. Demonstrators returned to central Delhi on Sunday, although the heavy security deployment and barricades restricted their movement.
A protester identified only as Aarti, 37, told AFP she had been detained for 10 hours on Saturday but returned the following day.
“I have come again today because it is important to show up,” she said.
Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also pledged to continue demonstrations against the Election Commission. He said his party and young people would return to the streets in large numbers on Monday.
“The more Modi and his government crack down, the more the anger of Gen Z and students will grow,” Gandhi said.
