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Photo: Reuters

NEW DELHI: Three senior leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were released from detention on Sunday, a day after police launched a major crackdown in New Delhi to prevent demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were released following an order by an executive magistrate, according to the movement’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh.

The three were detained on Saturday after arriving in New Delhi on a flight from Mumbai. Police entered the aircraft shortly after landing and took them into custody before they could leave the plane.

Their release came with a condition requiring them to maintain public peace for one year.

More than 2,000 people were detained across New Delhi on Saturday as authorities deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel to prevent protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar, a designated demonstration site in the capital.

The security operation included restrictions on public movement, temporary closures of metro stations and disruptions to mobile internet services. Most of those detained were released by Saturday night, according to police.

The protests were organised in response to allegations of irregularities in India’s nationwide electoral roll revision, known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Opposition parties and protest organisers accuse the Election Commission of conducting voter list revisions that could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to Election Commission data cited by the BJP, approximately 130 million names have been removed from electoral rolls during the verification exercise. Authorities say the removals include people who relocated or could not be traced.

However, opposition parties argue that the process has disproportionately affected minority communities and could prevent eligible citizens from voting.

The Election Commission has rejected allegations of political bias, maintaining that the revision process is legitimate. The BJP has also denied electoral manipulation and accused opposition groups of undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.

The Cockroach Janta Party, which began as an online satirical movement, has developed into a youth-led political pressure group challenging government policies and demanding greater accountability.

Its latest campaign has attracted students, activists, opposition politicians and civil society organisations concerned about electoral transparency and democratic rights.

The police response has also drawn criticism from opposition leaders and international human rights organisations.

The United Nations human rights office expressed concern over the mass detentions and urged Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected the UN’s criticism, describing its approach as selective and an unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, the CJP has called for further demonstrations despite the restrictions imposed by authorities.

Security personnel remained deployed across New Delhi on Sunday, although metro services resumed and mobile internet access was restored.

The movement has vowed to continue its campaign until its demands for electoral reforms and the resignation of the chief election commissioner are addressed.

The growing demonstrations come ahead of important state elections scheduled for 2027, placing renewed attention on the independence of India’s electoral institutions and the government’s handling of public dissent.