Hundreds of supporters of India’s “Cockroach” youth movement have held new protests in Mumbai to demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner over the revision of voter lists.
The movement, which began as an online campaign and now calls itself the Cockroach Janata Party, organised street protests that forced India’s education minister to resign in July. The rally in the country’s financial hub aims to spark a new period of demonstrations nationwide.
Police prevented student and civil society groups from gathering on Friday at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, to demand the commissioner’s resignation.
Officers detained dozens of protesters and some opposition leaders heading to the site, which had been barricaded off.
The protests add to mounting pressure on India’s Election Commission, which oversees polls across the country. Critics and opposition parties accuse it of altering voter registrations to give an advantage to the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The commission and the government deny any wrongdoing.
The Indian Express newspaper last month reported that two of the three election commissioners had formally objected to several decisions involving voter list revisions, registration procedures and the commission’s digital systems.
According to the report, the two commissioners questioned the legality of some of the decisions, but chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar disregarded their objections. Indian law requires the three-member Election Commission to make decisions by majority vote.
The commission disputed the report, saying it was based on “differing views and deliberations” among the commissioners rather than formal written objections.
India’s voter list revisions began last year in the eastern state of Bihar ahead of state elections, and have expanded to most of the country’s states and federally administered territories.
The revisions have drawn criticism over the documents required to establish voters’ eligibility. Critics say the requirements have been confusing and difficult for many voters to meet, potentially leaving millions off the registration lists and unable to vote.
Election Commission data shows voter lists in some regions could shrink by as much as 30%.
The commission says the objective is to remove duplicate and ineligible entries while ensuring eligible voters remain on the lists.
Opposition parties and activists say it risks excluding legitimate voters. They also accuse Mr Kumar of political bias and allege the revisions benefit Mr Modi’s party.
The Cockroach movement, which emerged earlier this year out of anger over high unemployment among young people and leaked examination papers, has grown into a political force.
Led by Abhijeet Dipke, it rose to national prominence after organising mass protests over exam leaks. The demonstrations culminated in the resignation of the education minister, a significant political setback for Mr Modi’s government.
The movement has since sought to take up other issues beyond education, including government accountability and democratic institutions.
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