India detains protesters calling for poll chief’s head

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party shout slogans as he take part in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and call for the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Mumbai, India, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. —AP

NEW DELHI, INDIA—Indian police on Saturday detained dozens of youth protesters in New Delhi on the second straight day of demonstrations demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation over alleged voter-roll irregularities.

The demonstrations have been backed by key opposition parties, including the popular Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who say voter-roll changes give an advantage to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

There was a heavy police presence around Jantar Mantar, a government-designated protest site in the heart of New Delhi, which remained sealed off behind police barricades. Local media reports said more than 100 protesters demanding that Election Commission of India chief Gyanesh Kumar step down were detained.

“Delhi Police must stop its crackdown on protesting students and activists,” CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said in a social media post. “Every attempt to suppress peaceful protesters will only bring more people to the streets and strengthen the march to Jantar Mantar,” Dipke added.

AFP

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