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Police in New Delhi detained hundreds of people Friday amid a crackdown on demonstrations challenging India’s election authorities and their controversial revision of voter rolls, prompting Amnesty International to accuse the government of trampling fundamental rights in the world’s largest democracy.

More than 700 protesters — including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena; Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj; and Neha Bora, who is president of the leftist All India Students’ Association — were reportedly detained in the capital as demonstrators sought to protest outside Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Journalists covering the protests were also reportedly detained and blocked from doing their jobs.

Police in New Delhi have detained opposition politicians and demonstrators during protests demanding the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner. Thousands of police have been mobilised and blocked off roads as crowds gather in the capital. pic.twitter.com/lg2MwjHPJX— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 2, 2026

Police in New Delhi have detained opposition politicians and demonstrators during protests demanding the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner. Thousands of police have been mobilised and blocked off roads as crowds gather in the capital. pic.twitter.com/lg2MwjHPJX

The Cockroach Janta Party — which led last summer’s successful youth-led protests to oust embattled Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after devastating leaks of critical university entrance exams — is again playing a central role in the demonstrations.

Police cited Section 163 of India’s criminal code — a provision intended to address immediate public order threats that critics say is misused to broadly restrict peaceful political assembly — to justify the mass detentions.

India’s “Cockroach Movement” Woke Up a Nation.........

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