India 'cockroach' leaders jailed for trespassing at protest site

Two leaders of India's youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were ordered by an Indian court to be detained in jail for five days. The detention follows their actions of scaling barricades to enter the historic Jantar Mantar site in Delhi and chanting slogans demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.

The CJP stated the action was a protest against the crackdown on youth demonstrators and the closure of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. CJP founder Abhijit Dipke criticized the government's actions, stating "You cannot denotify the resistance."

The CJP has been protesting for electoral reforms and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who is accused of overseeing the disenfranchisement of millions of voters. The Election Commission has denied these allegations. The CJP's name originated from remarks made by Chief Justice Surya Kant, who compared some unemployed young people to cockroaches.