Delhi Locked Down as Police Detain Youth Protest Leaders Demanding Election Chief’s Exit

Police detained scores of demonstrators in the Indian capital on Saturday as thousands of security personnel patrolled the city. The “Cockroach” youth movement had called a large rally demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Authorities suspended travel and telecom links, shut 45 metro stations and markets, and cut mobile internet in the central business district.

Police also detained founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka as their flight from Mumbai landed. Reporters from two digital outlets and some lawyers outside the Supreme Court were also picked up. Police had warned that violators of the protest ban would face the law.

Why Protesters Want Gyanesh Kumar to Resign

Anger grew after a newspaper report said Kumar’s deputies had questioned his handling of voter list changes. About 130 million names were removed, more than Japan’s population: 63 million had relocated, 30 million could not be traced and 28 million had died. The commission says wrongly removed voters can enroll again.

Opposition and BJP Clash Over Election Integrity

Opposition parties claim the deletions swayed recent state results. The ruling BJP and the commission deny this, saying rivals blame the system because they cannot beat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protests follow the recent exit of the education minister over exam leaks, with key state elections due from early 2027.