Police in India apparently arrest leaders of the “cockroach” movement

In India, the police apparently arrested prominent government critics of the "cockroach" movement before an announced large demonstration.

The founder of the satirical protest movement Abhijeet Dipke and two other leaders were taken into custody after they landed in the capital New Delhi, the group said. According to television reports, the police had previously asked Dipke at the airport to cancel the planned demonstration because the authorities had banned it.

The protest is directed against the electoral commission. The Cockroach Movement accuses it of massively manipulating voter lists in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, the BJP. The trigger is a report in the newspaper “Indian Express”. Accordingly, the deputy head of the electoral commission expressed concerns about the deletion of around 130 million voters. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the allegations.

Around 200 demonstrators were arrested in the city center itself, reports the Reuters news agency, citing police sources. In order to prevent gatherings, subway stations were closed, important roads were blocked and mobile internet was cut off.

The cockroach movement initially emerged in May as a satirical response to statements made by Chief Justice Surya Kant. He reportedly compared young government critics to "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a hearing.

In July, the movement protested against abuses in the education system and urged India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.

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