Indian police launch New Delhi clampdown for Cockroach Party rally

Cockroach Janta Party standoff with government extended as youth-led movement calls protest over jailing of activists.

Police gather outside Central Park in New Delhi before a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party calling for India's chief election commissioner to resign [AFP]

Authorities have tightened security in New Delhi after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called for a new protest over the jailing of two of its activists .

Thousands of additional police officers were deployed in the Indian capital on Friday as the Indian government appeared to prepare for further confrontations. The youth-led CJP movement has held a series of protests in recent weeks to demand India’s election chief resign . Its demonstrations have been met with a tough crackdown.

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CJP supporters have been called to gather in New Delhi’s Central Park at 5pm (11:30am GMT). The rally was called after two of the movement’s leaders were jailed for five days this week for allegedly trespassing at a protest site.

Authorities have closed the park, citing “administrative reasons”, and set up metal barricades at key intersections.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke suggested police may try to arrest him before the protest but declared he and his supporters are “not afraid” and are “ready” to go to jail.

In a social media post, Dipke accused the government of hypocrisy and denounced police crackdowns against the movement.

Members of the government may never have come to power had they experienced similar protest restrictions, he asserted.

“The very party that is in power today spent decades organising protests, taking to the streets and questioning the governments of the day when it was in opposition,” Dipke said.

“Had the same restrictions, intimidation and police crackdowns been used against them, many of those who occupy positions of power today might never have reached where they are.”

The rally is just the latest facing a crackdown by the authorities.

The CJP has held almost daily demonstrations this month demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The commissioner oversaw the removal of more than 130 million names from the electoral roll and is accused by the CJP of voter fraud. Election authorities said the changes were made to remove duplicate, deceased and fraudulent entries.

The CJP was founded in May amid anger over the leaking of exam papers and the poor prospects facing India’s youth.

The movement swiftly became a conduit for India’s Gen Z, many of whom feel disenfranchised during an unemployment crisis under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing government. The movement has since forced the resignation of the education minister.

With the political opposition quick to support the protests, Modi has come under intense pressure with some analysts saying he is now facing the worst crisis since he came to office in 2014.

由于青年领导的运动呼吁抗议活动人士被监禁，蟑螂人民党与政府的对峙局面持续扩大。

在印度蟑螂人民党举行抗议活动，要求印度首席选举专员辞职之前，警方在新德里中央公园外集结。[法新社]

在蟑螂人民党（CJP）呼吁就其两名活动人士被监禁一事发起新的抗议活动后，新德里当局加强了安保措施。

周五，印度首都新德里增派了数千名警力，印度政府似乎正在为可能发生的进一步冲突做准备。由青年领导的“人民正义运动”（CJP）近几周来举行了一系列抗议活动，要求印度选举委员会主席辞职。该运动的示威活动遭到了政府的严厉镇压。

印度反对派无视封锁令，举行游行要求撤换选举主席（共3条记录，此为第1条）。

图2/3：印度首都因选民名单引发的抗议活动升级

印度“蟑螂党”三名领导人因进入“禁区”抗议场所而被捕入狱（名单3/3）

CJP的支持者被号召于下午5点（格林尼治标准时间上午11:30）在新德里中央公园集会。此次集会是在该运动的两名领导人本周因涉嫌擅闯抗议地点而被判入狱五天后发起的。

当局以“行政原因”为由关闭了公园，并在主要路口设置了金属路障。

CJP创始人阿比吉特·迪普克暗示警方可能会在抗议活动前逮捕他，但他宣称他和他的支持者“不害怕”，并且“准备好”入狱。

迪普克在社交媒体上发帖指责政府虚伪，并谴责警方对该运动的镇压。

他断言，如果政府成员当年也经历过类似的抗议限制，他们可能永远无法上台执政。

迪普克说：“如今执政的这个政党，在野时曾花费数十年时间组织抗议活动、走上街头，并质疑当时的政府。”

“如果当初对他们也采取同样的限制、恐吓和警察镇压手段，那么今天许多身居高位的人可能永远无法达到他们现在的地位。”

这次集会只是当局镇压的最新一起事件。

本月，CJP几乎每天都举行示威活动，要求进行选举改革，并要求首席选举专员Gyanesh Kumar辞职。

该专员负责监督从选民名册中删除超过1.3亿个名字，并被首席大法官指控犯有选民欺诈罪。选举当局表示，此次更改是为了删除重复、已故和欺诈性条目。

CJP成立于5月，起因是民众对考试试卷泄露事件以及印度青年面临的黯淡前景感到愤怒。

这场运动迅速成为印度Z世代的发声渠道，他们中的许多人在总理纳伦德拉·莫迪领导的右翼政府执政期间的失业危机中感到被剥夺了权利。此后，这场运动迫使教育部长辞职。

由于政治反对派迅速支持抗议活动，莫迪面临着巨大的压力，一些分析人士表示，他现在正面临自 2014 年上任以来最严重的危机。