NEW DELHI, October 10, 2026 (Agencies) – Indian police detained Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with other senior movement leaders on Saturday as authorities launched a major security operation to prevent a planned mass protest in the national capital.
Tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed across Delhi, with roads barricaded and access to the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar heavily restricted. Police had earlier denied permission for the demonstration, citing concerns over public order and the possibility of violence.
According to the CJP, Dipke and fellow leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving in Delhi by air. Television footage showed Dipke telling police officers aboard an aircraft that he was not afraid of arrest and was prepared to face detention.
The movement is demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, over allegations that revisions to voter rolls improperly removed millions of names. The Election Commission of India has denied allegations of manipulation and maintains that the revision process was aimed at identifying duplicate and ineligible entries.
What began earlier this year as a satirical online campaign has evolved into a nationwide youth-led protest movement. The CJP emerged after comments by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant, who reportedly likened unemployed young people to “cockroaches,” prompting a viral response from Dipke that resonated with frustrated youth across the country.
Since then, the movement has focused on unemployment, examination paper leaks, government accountability and electoral reform, attracting widespread support among students and young voters.
The latest confrontation follows the CJP’s high-profile protests in July, which sparked clashes with police and were followed by the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, significantly raising the movement’s profile nationwide.
Despite the crackdown, CJP leaders called on supporters to continue demonstrating peacefully, while authorities maintained strict security measures throughout Delhi amid fears of large-scale unrest.