Delhi police detain CJP leaders after new protest at Jantar Mantar

Delhi police detained leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) youth movement on October 13 after they entered the barricaded Jantar Mantar site. The protesters demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the revision of voter lists.

The detentions followed a police announcement a day earlier that Jantar Mantar was no longer a designated protest venue. Reuters reported that participants crossed barricades to reach the grounds. The action is a new development after the movement’s leaders were detained during the weekend protests.

CJP and opposition groups allege that the voter-list revision benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission and the ruling party reject manipulation allegations. Exclusions from the rolls do not, by themselves, prove deliberate electoral fraud.

The commission launched a nationwide registration drive on September 26 for voters left off the lists and said it was committed to ensuring eligible voters were included.

Speaking at a business event on Tuesday, Modi described India as a democracy where diverse views were openly debated. Reuters reported that he did not directly address the protests.