Police Crackdown on India’s Cockroach Janata Party Ahead of Protest

India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), a youth-oriented movement that adopted its self-deprecating name following an insult from an Indian official, reported on Thursday that police have commenced large-scale arrests of CJP members to prevent a mass protest set for Saturday in New Delhi.

The CJP originated from a satirical comment made by Chief Justice Surya Kant, who likened the nation’s restless youth to “cockroaches” that spend excessive time online. The party’s emblem is a rebellious cockroach donning sunglasses.

It gained traction among young Indians, many of whom indeed spend a lot of time on social media. The party surged in popularity during a significant scandal concerning medical school entrance exams in June 2026.

Currently, the Cockroach movement is calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whose controversial decisions regarding voter registration have drawn ire.

Kumar, appointed despite opposition objections in 2025, has overseen a considerable initiative called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This effort aims to verify India’s vast voter register, correct inaccuracies, and remove individuals who should not be voting, like undocumented immigrants.

Faced with a colossal task, India had roughly 970 million names on its voter rolls before Kumar’s initiative started. Now, the SIR has removed around 130 million names, exceeding the population of several other democracies.

Critics argue that the SIR has been excessively aggressive in removing voters affiliated with the political opposition while overlooking those supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. Some voters whose names were deleted claim their grievances have not been addressed.

The controversy intensified as other election commission members voiced their objections to the SIR process. Some commissioners expressed solidarity, while BJP supporters maintain that the cleanup of the voter rolls is being conducted fairly. Kumar, who was previously regarded as a quiet bureaucrat, has started defending the SIR publicly, engaging in verbal disputes with opposition figures, including prominent lawmaker Rahul Gandhi.

As a result, Kumar has become a prime target for opposition parties, particularly the CJP. Demonstrations calling for his resignation or impeachment have surged in recent days. Authorities in Delhi denied the CJP’s request for a permit for the planned protest, attributing the refusal partly to the party’s failure to provide a ten-day notice, as well as past instances of unruly behavior during protests.

To counter the anticipated protests, over 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been stationed in Delhi. Indian Railways has also canceled certain trains to the capital due to “expected severe road traffic congestion.” CJP activists speculate that these cancellations aim to hinder their arrival in Delhi, with reports of plans to close several train stations in the city to maintain order.

The CJP announced on Thursday that police have started detaining its members on dubious grounds, including spokesperson Deepak Baliyan, who was arrested on Thursday but released later that night. Rahul Gandhi and his sister faced arrest as they tried to join the protests.

The CJP asserted that at least ten thousand individuals were arrested nationwide on Thursday, many while heading to New Delhi for Saturday’s demonstration.

In a fierce statement, the CJP accused Modi’s government of “waging war against its own youth” and effectively imposing a “state of emergency,” akin to martial law.

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, asserted on Friday that he remains committed to marching in Delhi on Saturday. He provocatively told the prime minister, “This intimidation is not going to work, Modi. The youth of this country are no longer scared of you.”

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia responded on Thursday, labeling the CJP and other opposition groups as “an irresponsible, anarchist opposition” and dismissed their allegations against Kumar, claiming there was “no basis, not an iota of evidence” supporting their claims.