Protests in India Continue as Members of CJP Allegedly Detained

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), an opposition and student-led movement in India, claims that numerous members have been detained by authorities as protests continue nationwide. The demonstrations are aimed at demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and a significant rally is planned for Saturday in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the designated protest area.

The CJP emerged in mid-May after Chief Justice Surya Kant referred to unemployed youth as 'cockroaches,' igniting widespread anger and mobilising young supporters across the country. As protests escalated, Ashutosh Ranka, a spokesperson for the movement, reported on Thursday via the social media platform X that 'at least 10,000' individuals associated with CJP and allied groups had been detained across various locations. One notable arrest was that of Deepak Baliyan, the national spokesman for the CJP.

While Al Jazeera could not independently verify these claims, videos shared on X depicted activists being apprehended and taken away in police vehicles.

The protests have intensified over recent allegations regarding a controversial revision of voter lists by the Election Commission. Critics accuse the electoral authority of facilitating advantages for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The concerns have grown particularly urgent as over 130 million names have been removed from voter lists, with about 969 million individuals eligible to vote in the upcoming 2024 elections.

Supporters of CJP contend that the changes disproportionately affect opposition party voters while maintaining or adding those likely to support the BJP. The Election Commission and the government have dismissed these allegations, asserting that the revisions are intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries.

On Thursday, demonstrators in Bengaluru held placards with messages such as 'Every name counts, Every vote matters' and 'Stop the Murder of Democracy.' Khushi Shrivastava, a 22-year-old architecture student actively participating in the protests, expressed her dismay, stating, 'I think voting rights are the most basic point of democracy. People who actually want to vote and care about the future of India are being denied voting rights.'

The situation has also seen other political figures involved; Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was reportedly detained briefly for the third time over two days, prompting accusations from his Congress Party of police brutality. In response, police have claimed that the allegations serve to defame their actions, while BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia labelled the accusations as those of an 'irresponsible, anarchist opposition.'