The founding members of the Cockroach Janta Party in India said they would not back down from their protest demanding the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The comments came hours after the members – founder, Abhijeet Dipke, along with Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and legal head, Ratna Singh – were released from detention after a protest call over controversial revision of voters’ lists sparked days of unrest in the Indian capital Delhi.
Opposition parties and supporters of the “cockroach” youth movement took to the streets demanding the resignation of Mr Kumar over the revision that critics say benefits prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The revision that started last year saw over 130 million names, more than the population of Japan, being deleted from voters’ lists, including the dead, the relocated, and people who could not be traced.
Police detained thousands of protesters in Delhi over the weekend, including leaders of the CJP, as supporters of the youth movement sought to march in protest and were stopped by thousands of security personnel who locked down central Delhi.
The Election Commission has denied favouring any party and said wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol, while the BJP has accused its rivals of trying to undermine the country's democracy by wrongly questioning legitimate electoral processes.
On Sunday, speaking at a press conference in the capital after being released from custody, the CJP leadership said the protests would continue across the country until their demands, including the resignation of CEC, is met.
In a post on X after their release, CJP said: “Finally Delhi police is forced to release Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das.”
“Cockroaches never die,” the party said.
FINALLY DELHI POLICE IS FORCED TO RELEASE ABHIJEET DIPKE, ASHUTOSH RANKA AND SAURAV DAS.
— Cockroach Janta Party - CJP (@Cockroachisback) October 11, 2026
Cockroaches never die 🪳 https://t.co/1DNXlmL42T
All three CJP leaders were taken to different locations.
“They picked us up as if we were criminals. They took our phones forcibly.” The trio were detained from inside their flight in Delhi as it landed in Delhi.
They were released on Sunday after nearly 24 hours of detention, with police claiming that their release included a bond “maintaining peace and good behaviour, for a period of one year”.
While Mr Dipke left for his home in Maharashtra after the demise of his grandmother, the other two spokespersons held a press conference in Delhi, accusing Delhi police of seizing their phones without following due process.
They also expressed fear that their devices may have been “cloned” and tampered with or “planted with evidence”.
Rejecting the police claim about bond undertaking, the CJP also declared on X: “No CJP leader has signed any bond that says they will not protest any more. The bond refers to refraining of breach of peace. But participating in a peaceful protest is a Constitutional right and DOES NOT breach peace.”
“The state is at war with its own citizens,” Mr Das said during the conference as he accused the government of targeting journalists during the protests.
“The government has completely lost it…,” he said. “All to protect Gyanesh Kumar, who is traitor number one. The government is scared that these youth who are awakened will seek answers. Hence, they are resorting to violence.”
“The entire country is facing an emergency-like situation,” he said.
During the crackdown ahead of Delhi’s protest on Saturday, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also detained and was among 7,000 protesters held as the demonstrators continued to show up in New Delhi district despite police crackdown, heavy presence of forces, suspension of internet and restriction on movement in the area.
Several protesters called the clampdown by authorities an undeclared “emergency”, referring to suspension of civil liberties guaranteed under Indian constitution. It was last suspended for a period of 21-months in 1975, under former prime minister Indira Gandhi, after she was found guilty of electoral malpractice, invalidating her 1971 election win.
Anshu Singh Bisht, 18, a student from Amity University in National Capital Region told The Independent earlier on Saturday that “I do not feel Gyanesh Kumar resignation will alone resolve the issue. Even prime minister Narendra Modi, Amit shah and other top officials should also resign. It is an undeclared dictatorship by the Narendra Modi.
“When Indira Gandhi declared emergency, at least we know. They have installed so many advanced cameras across protest site. If they had installed them in the name of women or child safety, it would have made the city safe.” He was subsequently detained in Connaught Place on 10 October.
Another protester, who was a resident of Najafgarh said: “I have seen the protests under Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement. But now it seems like it is emergency. An emergency has been declared. To protest peacefully is my fundamental right and only under emergency, one’s right to protest peacefully is suspended. And this is what it is. If I cannot protest, then what is it if not emergency?”
The Delhi police has arrested the Hindu nationalist men accused of assaulting protesters including a woman during the agitation on Saturday. The men identified as Raman Saini, 50, Vivekanand, 32, Kapil Kumar, 27, and Ravinder Singh are associated with a right-wing group called Hindu Raksha Dal. They were arrested after widespread outrage over a video in which they were seen assaulting protesters, including a woman.
Acknowledging them as the members of his faction, the groups head, Pinki Chaudhary wrote on social media: “These are my workers from the Hindu Raksha Dal – an organisation that delivers on its promises.
“The Hindu Raksha Dal possesses the power to set the minds of any ‘cockroaches’ straight, and it will continue to do so relentlessly,” Chaudhary said on X.
While protesters were tackle with disproportionate force, in the video, the right-wing members assaulting peaceful demonstrators just meters away from police largely roamed scot-free, as witnessed by The Independent.
“BJP-RSS goons beating a young girl in the presence of Delhi Police, with an officer seemingly guiding them to stop the recording. Why is Delhi Police helping goons attack peaceful protestors instead of protecting them? Who gave them this free hand?” the CJP said in a statement on X.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India came down heavily on the government of India following the closure of metro stations and trains to Delhi, as well as suspension of internet in the New Delhi district, while restricting the movement of protesters.
The apex court also issued a notice to the secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, Govind Mohan, as well as Delhi police commissioner and DMRC chairperson while hearing a contempt plea filed by Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi.
The petitioner had alleged that authorities continued with arbitrary closure of Metro stations and unwarranted cancellation of train services to capital despite the court’s direction.
A special bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana heard the matter on Sunday after a plea alleged a violation of court’s earlier order where it had directed that rail services in the capital can be regulated but not shut.
The court observed that “prima facie” a case of contempt was made out.
It sought the officials to file an affidavit and file a compliance report by 13 October.
The Indian opposition party, the Indian National Congress, is marching to the Supreme Court on Monday to meet chief justice of India, Surya Kant to submit a memorandum demanding the resignation of the Mr Kumar over the alleged vote fraud. It comes after, the chief justice refused to meet the opposition leaders, saying the matter regarding the deletion of names from the voter list is already pending before the top court.
BJP spokesperson, Gaurav Bhatia has meanwhile defended the chief justice’s decision to not the opposition leaders saying the judiciary must “remain above day-to-day political battles”.
“Constitutional institutions cannot be dragged into political theatrics.
“Mr Rahul Gandhi, merely carrying a copy of the constitution does not mean you understand it. Read it. Respect it. And learn the doctrine of separation of powers,” he added.
