Police detain founder of India’s ‘cockroach’ movement ahead of protest
Police detained India’s ‘cockroach’ movement founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday, live images from his group showed, ahead of a protest called by him in capital Delhi’s central business district, reports BritPanorama.
The youth-led ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), opposition groups, and student organizations have held almost daily protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a revision of voter lists that critics say favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
During the controversial revision, more than 130 million voters were deleted, although the Election Commission has denied allegations of partisanship, asserting that wrongly deleted voters can still re-enrol. The BJP has claimed that rival parties are attempting to undermine democratic processes by questioning legitimate electoral practices.
Dipke initiated Friday’s protest in support of two CJP leaders detained earlier this week, who were jailed for five days after violating a prohibition on demonstrations at a protest site.
The group, along with left-wing student organizations, encouraged supporters to assemble at Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district to wave and hoist the national flag.
Live footage from CJP’s Instagram depicted Dipke being stopped by police as he left a house. Following a brief exchange, he was forcibly taken into a police vehicle.
“We are detaining you right now,” a police officer was heard telling Dipke during the incident. Dipke responded, “I have not broken any law right now…how can you detain me?”
There was no immediate comment from the police regarding the detention.
Earlier on Friday, law enforcement had warned Dipke against proceeding with the planned protest.
