Key facts
- Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das ordered released by court Wednesday.
- Leaders detained for protesting at historic venue, demanding election chief's resignation.
- Protesters allege manipulation of electoral roll favoring ruling party.
An Indian court on Wednesday ordered the release of two leaders of the 'Cockroach' movement, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, local media reported. They had been detained for scaling barricades at the Jantar Mantar observatory on October 13 to protest and demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner. The group unfurled the national flag and chanted slogans before being detained. A court had initially sent them to prison for five days, later extending their stay by two days. The youth-led CJP, opposition parties and student organizations have been protesting this month over alleged bias in voter list revisions favoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission has denied any favoritism, and the BJP has accused rivals of undermining democracy.