"Las Cucarachas" Return to Protests Against the Electoral Roll Revision in India: More Than 500 Detained

A large police deployment left more than 500 people detained this Saturday in New Delhi, the capital of India, during a new day of protests by the youth movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), known as the "Cockroaches" party, against the electoral roll revision being pushed by the authorities. The mobilizations come amid a growing confrontation between the youth movement and electoral authorities, although it is not the first time the "Cockroaches" have staged nationwide protests. The party, created on the internet to demand changes to India's education system, already has a precedent. On July 25 of this year, India's education minister resigned following massive protests organized by the group. This time, the mobilization was planned to gather at Jantar Mantar, in the center of the capital, to demand the resignation of the head of the Election Commission of India, Gyanesh Kumar, amid opposition accusations of a possible exclusion of millions of voters from the electoral roll. However, security forces deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel, along with surveillance drones, to prevent protesters from reaching the rally site. During the clashes, at least two police officers and several protesters were injured. The controversy over the electoral roll revision The protests focus primarily on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, a procedure that has drawn criticism from the Indian opposition. Critics of the measure argue that it could exclude millions of people eligible to vote and favor the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For its part, the Election Commission defends the procedure as a mechanism to remove duplicate records or those belonging to people who have died, moved away, or do not meet the requirements to vote. It also maintains that citizens can request their inclusion during the revision. Internet cuts and transport restrictions The authorities also imposed a series of restrictions to control the mobilizations, including the suspension of mobile internet service until 10:00 p.m. local time within a four-kilometer radius around the intersection of Janpath and Kartavya Path. This was followed by the closure of access to 45 metro stations, a measure that mainly affected routes toward central New Delhi and the vicinity of Jantar Mantar. The security operation also included 37 blockade points in the city's central district and 15 detention centers set up to receive intercepted individuals. Delhi Police had previously refused authorization for the demonstration, arguing that the request was submitted past the deadline. It also cited violations during previous gatherings and risks to public order. Despite the restrictions, small groups of protesters managed to reach the center of the capital, although successive police interventions prevented the protest from reaching the scale its organizers had anticipated. Among those detained were also leaders of the movement, including its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, along with Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were intercepted upon arriving at New Delhi's international airport from Bombay. The restrictions also affected press professionals covering the mobilizations. A 26-year-old journalist from the Indian agency PTI, who asked to keep her identity confidential, told the EFE agency that she was detained twice despite carrying her professional press credentials. "They don't care. They are detaining anyone simply for carrying a camera," she denounced.