Indian authorities clamp down as ‘cockroach’ movement launches new protests

Demonstrators gathering in Mumbai and New Delhi to demand the resignation of Election Commission chief meet stern police response.

Protesters shout slogans from a police vehicle after being detained during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, on October 2, 2026 [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]

Indian security forces have clamped down as the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), other student coalitions and opposition forces gathered for planned protests in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel surrounded a barricaded protest site in the centre of the capital on Friday and bundled demonstrators into buses as they arrived. The CJP warned the government last week that it would launch nationwide protests unless the Election Commission chief resigned amid a voter roll controversy.

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Authorities closed at least 11 metro stations around the Jantar Mantar observatory, where the protesters were assembling, and repeatedly issued warnings to disperse from loudspeakers.

Delhi Police earlier imposed Section 163, which bars gatherings of more than five people, the use of slogans, speechmaking and other protest activities, The Times of India reported.

Reports about 3pm (09:30 GMT) suggested that more than 500 people – including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena, members of the Aam Aadmi opposition party and members of student organisations – had been arrested in New Delhi.

“The right to protest is our fundamental right, and we want answers from the government on vote theft,” demonstrator Rishabh Singh said as police shoved him into a bus, according to the Reuters news agency.

In Mumbai, where protests were planned to begin at 4pm (10:30 GMT), a crowd slowly grew in Shivaji Park. A heavy police presence patrolled the area, where they also declared a no-parking zone.

Protesters react as police try to detain them in New Delhi on October 2, 2026 [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]

The CJP called the latest round of protests after the Indian Express newspaper reported that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s two deputies had formally raised concerns at least 14 times in the past 10 months over revisions to voter lists, registration procedures and digital systems.

Critics said a nationwide voter-verification exercise launched last year led to millions of eligible voters being removed from electoral rolls. They said the changes favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The commission has denied the allegations and said the changes removed duplicate, deceased or ineligible voters.

The CJP said it plans to expand demonstrations nationwide in the coming days.

“We will ultimately end it only when Gyanesh Kumar resigns. He has to go,” Saurav Das, CJP’s convener, said in remarks on Friday that were reported by The Times of India.

“We will ensure that he is removed from that position, all his crimes are undone and he pays for the crimes he has committed against the young generation and against the country.”

Opposition protests led by the Indian National Congress party are also set to demand Kumar’s resignation starting on Tuesday.

India’s “cockroach movement” began with online satire mocking the government before amassing millions of followers on social media. It has since brought thousands onto the streets, including during mass demonstrations in July that led to the resignation of India’s education minister.

Those protests also drew an outsized police response with Amnesty International reporting that authorities used lethal weapons to suppress crowds.

示威者聚集在孟买和新德里，要求选举委员会主席辞职，遭到警方严厉镇压。

2026年10月2日，在印度新德里，抗议者在要求首席选举专员吉亚内什·库马尔辞职的抗议活动中被拘留后，从警车上高喊口号。[Adnan Abidi/路透社]

印度安全部队已对由 Z 世代领导的蟑螂人民党 (CJP)、其他学生联盟和反对派力量在新德里和孟买集结，准备举行抗议活动的行为进行镇压。

周五，数百名警察和准军事人员包围了首都中心一处设有路障的抗议地点，并将抵达的示威者强行塞进巴士。上周，正义与进步中心（CJP）警告政府，除非选举委员会主席因选民名册争议辞职，否则该组织将发起全国性抗议活动。

列表 1/4：印度“蟑螂运动”加入反对派行列，推动罢免选举主席

列表 2/4：继 Z 世代之后，印度的 Alpha 世代崛起，要求教育改革

列表 3/4：印度“蟑螂”运动要求选举委员会主席辞职

列表 4（共 4 篇）“动摇的信念”：为什么印度的选举受到前所未有的审查？

当局关闭了抗议者聚集的简塔·曼塔天文台附近的至少 11 个地铁站，并通过扩音器反复发出驱散警告。

据《印度时报》报道，德里警方此前实施了第 163 条法令，禁止五人以上的集会、使用口号、发表演讲和其他抗议活动。

下午 3 点左右（格林尼治标准时间 09:30）的报道称，超过 500 人在新德里被捕，其中包括前德里首席部长阿蒂什·马莱纳、人民党反对派成员和学生组织成员。

据路透社报道，示威者里沙布·辛格在被警察推上一辆公交车时说：“抗议的权利是我们的基本权利，我们要求政府就选举舞弊问题作出解释。”

在孟买，抗议活动计划于下午4点（格林尼治标准时间10:30）开始，人群在希瓦吉公园逐渐聚集。大量警力在公园内巡逻，并宣布该区域为禁停区。

2026年10月2日，新德里，抗议者在警方试图拘留他们时做出反应。[Adnan Abidi/路透社]

在《印度快报》报道首席选举专员吉亚内什·库马尔的两名副手在过去 10 个月中至少 14 次正式提出对选民名单、登记程序和数字系统的修改表示担忧之后，首席大法官组织发起了最新一轮的抗议活动。

批评人士指出，去年启动的全国选民资格核查工作导致数百万符合资格的选民被从选民名册中移除。他们认为，这些变化有利于总理纳伦德拉·莫迪领导的印度人民党。

委员会否认了这些指控，并表示这些更改删除了重复的、已故的或不合格的选民。

CJP表示，计划在未来几天将示威活动扩大到全国范围。

据《印度时报》报道，CJP召集人索拉夫·达斯周五发表讲话称：“只有吉亚内什·库马尔辞职，我们才能最终结束这场运动。他必须离开。”

“我们将确保他被免去职务，他犯下的所有罪行都将被纠正，他将为他对年轻一代和国家犯下的罪行付出代价。”

由印度国民大会党领导的反对派抗议活动也将于周二开始，要求库马尔辞职。

印度的“蟑螂运动”始于网络上对政府的讽刺，随后在社交媒体上聚集了数百万追随者。此后，这场运动引发了数千人走上街头，其中包括7月份的大规模示威游行，最终导致印度教育部长辞职。

这些抗议活动也引发了警方的过度反应，国际特赦组织报告称，当局使用了致命武器镇压人群。