NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s youth “Cockroach” movement was set to hold fresh protests in the capital New Delhi on Saturday, intensifying a nationwide campaign against a contentious voter list revision that has fueled anger at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and election authorities.
Thousands of protesters are expected at Jantar Mantar, the city’s designated protest site, where authorities have imposed sweeping restrictions including suspension of mobile internet. Police said Friday they had denied permission for the protest because the request was submitted late.
The demonstration site has been cordoned off with yellow metal barricades and thousands of police personnel have been deployed in and around the area. Restrictions on train services and metro stations were expected to disrupt travel across the capital and make it harder for protesters to reach the venue.
The preparations signal the authorities’ determination to contain a fast-growing protest campaign that has mobilized thousands of young people, drawn opposition support and intensified scrutiny of Modi. The protests also come at a politically sensitive time, months after demonstrations led by the “Cockroach” movement over exam paper leaks forced Modi’s education minister to resign in July.
Police detain some demonstrators heading to protest site
The police moved to intercept protesters before they could reach the protest site, chasing some away and detaining others. Those detained were bundled into police vehicles and driven away.
At entry points to central New Delhi, officers stopped buses, cars and other vehicles, boarding them to search for people headed to the demonstrations. Anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers stood along key routes. Journalists also faced restrictions in some areas while trying to cover the demonstration.
“We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Shouldn’t we fight for our rights,” said Tanya Negi, a college student who traveled from Mumbai with two friends and arrived early Saturday, determined to reach the protest site. “Why is Modi afraid of India’s young people?”
India’s voter list dispute raises election fairness concerns
The protests center on India’s Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, which the opposition says has disenfranchised millions of eligible voters. Protesters demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the change, which has removed more than 130 million names from voter lists so far.
The Election Commission and the government reject allegations of voter manipulation, saying the revision is intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries.
The dispute has become a rallying point for opposition parties seeking to challenge Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Saturday’s planned demonstration follows days of protests in the Indian capital where opposition lawmakers also stepped up their campaign, with Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi being briefly detained by police.
Gandhi and other opposition leaders have accused the commission of conducting the voter revision in a way that benefits Modi’s party. The opposition says voters more likely to support its parties have been disproportionately affected by the removals, while supporters of the BJP have been spared or added to the lists.
The commission and the government deny the allegations.
India’s youth movement broadens campaign against Modi
For the “Cockroach” movement, the voter list dispute offers an opportunity to broaden its campaign.
The movement began online in May and gained prominence through demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes over alleged exam paper leaks. Those protests culminated in the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July, a rare political setback for a prime minister who has maintained a firm hold on national power for more than 12 years.
For Modi, the protests pose a challenge midway through his third term, though their political impact remains unclear. National elections are not due until 2029, but state elections next year in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and Gujarat, Modi’s home state, will test the party’s standing.
India’s young return to streets as anger against election chief and Modi grows 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-10-10 05:12:50
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
