Indian youth party alleges mass detentions ahead of Delhi protest

India's Cockroach Janta Party has accused the national government of carrying out mass detentions of its members ahead of a planned rally in New Delhi. DW, The Guardian, and The Japan Times all report that the political movement claims authorities are detaining activists en masse before the demonstration scheduled for Saturday, October 10. DW added that founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the government of Narendra Modi of carrying out intimidation. [1][2][4][5][6]

Thousands of protesters are expected to march in the Indian capital on Saturday. According to The Guardian, the movement and opposition parties are protesting against controversial changes to voter lists. The Guardian reported that opposition parties, student units, and youth activists have been holding joint demonstrations leading up to the weekend rally. [2]

The movement was founded on May 16, 2026, by Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and activist. The New York Times reported that Dipke originally started the group as a joke. The movement gained significant support among Generation Z youth and previously forced the removal of a minister following a dysfunctional college entrance examination system. [3][7]

Between June and July 2026, the movement joined student organizations to stage demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand civil reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Indian police have previously detained activists in New Delhi during demonstrations targeting electoral roll changes. [9][12][13]