Police in India’s capital, New Delhi, have detained more than 1,000 demonstrators, opposition politicians, journalists, student leaders, and youth movement founders. The sweeping crackdown was launched to suppress widespread protests demanding the resignation of the country's chief election commissioner amid growing political friction.

The satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and allied groups organized the demonstrations to protest controversial voter roll revisions. Protesters and opposition parties accuse the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of manipulating electoral outcomes through alleged collusion with election officials. Critics claim these voter deletions have severely impacted recent state polls, casting a long shadow over the nation's democratic integrity.

Ahead of the planned rallies, security forces effectively locked down New Delhi. Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel flooded the streets, inbound trains were canceled, mobile internet services were suspended, and metro stations and markets were abruptly shut down. Prominent activists, including CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, were detained immediately upon their arrival at the airport, while others were rounded up across the city.

Representatives of the ruling party dismissed the demonstrators as disruptive elements, claiming the situation remains stable under their administration. However, international watchdogs such as Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned the mass detentions, warning that the heavy-handed response signals a desperate attempt to silence critical voices and suppress peaceful assembly.

Source: www.aljazeera.com