Key facts
- A Delhi court ordered the release of CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka.
- The CJP is demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- The Election Commission is accused of manipulating voters' lists, which it denies.
- Thousands of protesters were detained on Saturday.
- The CJP movement began in May after a judge likened jobless youth to 'cockroaches'.
- The CJP is not a registered political party in India.
A court in Delhi has ordered the release of top leaders of the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who were detained upon arrival in the city on Saturday. The group is seeking electoral reforms and has called for further protests on Sunday, with thousands of security personnel deployed and roads barricaded in anticipation.
The CJP's movement, initiated in May by Abhijeet Dipke, stems from a remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant likening jobless young people to "cockroaches." The group is demanding reforms to electoral rolls, accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of manipulating voter lists to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission and the BJP have denied these allegations.
On Saturday, police boarded the flight of Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka to detain them. The planned protest at Jantar Mantar was blocked by unprecedented security measures, including the closure of metro stations and cancellation of major train services. Media reports indicated that approximately 7,000 people were detained across the city and released late that night. Despite the heavy security, some protesters managed to reach the protest site, only to be swiftly removed by police.
The CJP, which is not a registered political party in India, previously led protests in July demanding education reforms and the resignation of the Education Minister. The current demands focus on the integrity of the electoral process, with tens of thousands alleging wrongful removal from voter rolls during a nationwide exercise to update them.