From Dw · · 2m
Indian police crack down on 'Cockroach' protest in Delhi
Indian police detain opposition leaders as 'Cockroach' protest faces crackdown.
In brief
Indian police detain opposition leaders as 'Cockroach' protest faces crackdown. Indian police detained opposition leaders including Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi during protests against voter list revisions. Originally reported by Dw.
Police crackdown begins
Indian police detained thousands of protesters in a major crackdown on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
CJP leaders detained
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other leaders detained before landing in Delhi.
43,000 police deployed
43,000 police and security personnel deployed across Delhi to manage protests.
Internet suspended
Internet services suspended in central Delhi during the protest crackdown.
Metro and rail restrictions
Massive restrictions on metro and railway services in central Delhi during protests.
CJP rally call
Cockroach Janta Party called for an unauthorized rally to oppose voter list revisions and demand Chief Election Commissioner resignation.
Opposition leaders detained
Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Rahul Gandhi detained by police during protests.
Rahul Gandhi's statement
Rahul Gandhi called the crackdown an act of 'cowardice' and named Modi, Shah, RSS, Gyanesh Kumar and Doval as 'villains of this story'.
Priyanka Gandhi's statement
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote on social media that India is no longer a democracy but a dictatorship run by Modi and Shah.
Voter list revision concerns
Opposition leaders warn voter list revision could strip millions of voting rights and benefit Prime Minister Modi's ruling BJP.
Election Commission response
Election Commission of India rejected allegations, saying voter list revision aims to remove duplicate and ineligible voters.
Protest history
CJP's mass mobilization in July forced then education minister to resign over examination scandal.
Protesters describe police
Protesters described heavy police presence as a 'game of perception' with 100 police for 20 protesters.
CJP appoints new leader
Ajinkya Shinde, CJP's interim leader, called for continued march to Jantar Mantar despite leaders detained.
Journalists detained
Indian media outlets reported journalists briefly detained by police while covering protests.
CJP leader's grandmother dies
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke's grandmother died in her native village in Maharashtra.
The headline
Indian police detained opposition leaders including Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi during protests against voter list revisions.
