An Indian court has extended the detention of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, two prominent leaders of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The decision on Monday came as part of an ongoing crackdown on near-daily demonstrations challenging the government's policies and electoral administration.

The activists were originally apprehended while staging a demonstration at a historic protest venue in defiance of an official ban, triggering renewed rallies in New Delhi. The CJP has spearheaded campaigns demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner over controversial voter list revisions that critics claim allegedly favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party.

Reports indicate that local police sought additional time to interrogate the detained activists, prompting the court to prolong their custody by two additional days. The CJP's legal department sharply criticized the move, calling it a mockery of justice, and vowed to contest the ruling in a higher judicial body.

While election authorities maintain that millions of names were removed from voter rolls due to relocation, mortality, or inability to trace individuals—denying any bias—the opposition movement insists it will press forward with its demands. The youth coalition previously forced a cabinet minister's resignation earlier this year and shows no signs of backing down despite mounting pressure.

Source: www.aljazeera.com