Stocks · World Stock Push
The Indian capital of Delhi is facing a police lockdown after the leaders of India ’s “cockroach” youth movement called for protests on Saturday, demanding the resignation of the country’s top poll official. The dispute centres around a controversial revision of voters list which has dropped over 130 million voters, denying them the right to universal franchise. It has spurred a series of protests by youth groups, opposition parties, as well as their students units, calling on India’s chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
“I'll be landing in Delhi tomorrow and will march to Jantar Mantar, come what may," said Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose protest earlier secured the ouster of education minister Dharmesh Pradhan. "The youth of this country are no longer scared of you," he added in the message, addressing prime minister Narendra Modi . Security personnel walk past barricades installed at the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi on 9 October 2026 (AFP/Getty) Meanwhile, the administration under Mr Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a slew of directions, including closure of metro and train stations, along with massive deployment of forces to deter protesters.
The Delhi Police have requested Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to close entry and exit gates of 57 metro stations across the national capital for security reasons. Authorities said police had asked for fewer metro train services, with some exits shut, citing the possibility of "unruly" mobs, according to Reuters . Scooterist drive past congress party supporters carrying out a march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Thursday, 8 October 2026 (AP) Some long-distance trains to Delhi and Nizamuddin Railway stations on Saturday were cancelled “in view of anticipated severe road traffic congestion” said the ministry of railways.
The Supreme Court on Friday raised concerns over the closure of entry gates, saying the restrictions would affect thousands of commuters, as it pointed towards students, employees, and senior citizens travelling to satellite cities of Noida and Gurgaon located in Delhi and the National Capital Region. “Everybody does not have a car... You cannot bring everything to a halt and leave people without any transport facility,” said chief justice Surya Kant.
Saurav Das, spokesperson of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), addresses the media ahead of a protest demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (Reuters) It also asked the government to ensure that the Delhi metro and train services to the capital are not completely suspended ahead of the 10 October protest. “We make it clear that there shall be no complete prohibition on movement of metro trains,” said the Supreme Court, adding that the services should continue in a regulated manner to minimise inconvenience. Police in the capital denied permission to CJP for Saturday’s protest, saying they could face legal action if protesters violated rules.
The police also cautioned people against participating in “unnecessary protest”, announcing at several places, including a mosque in Delhi. “Please make your children and family members aware that they should not participate in any unnecessary protests,” a police personnel could be heard saying in a purported video circulating on social media. Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), kneels down during a protest demanding the resignation of India's chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter-roll irregularities on 8 October 2026 in Bengaluru, India (Getty) A senior police official told the Print news outlet that several other public squares and marketplaces have been used to “disseminate information”, urging people to not join the “unlawful” protest.
“There has not been any permission given for any such larger mobilisation of people on the streets in the capital over the last few days, and the situation remains the same for the protest call given for 10 October.” Police cited late submission of application and rule violations during a previous demonstration as reasons for denying the permission, according to newswire PTI. Authorities have mobilised thousands of police and paramilitary forces, including from sensitive areas such as Jammu and Kashmir . At least 70 companies of Central Reserve Police Force comprising around 7,000 personnel deployed in West Bengal and Chattisgarh are being moved to Delhi on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs under Mr Modi’s second in command Amit Shah .
Taking a dig at the central government over the slew of restrictions, Mr Dipke said: “Shut down entire country if you are scared of youth.” The CJP said police in several states were detaining thousands of its supporters as they headed for Saturday's protest. Local police have also detained dozens of students on Goa Express in Madhya Pradesh , while travelling to Delhi to participate in the protest against the chief election commissioner. The world's largest democracy, with at least 960 million eligible voters in 2024, began the verification effort last year ahead of elections in the eastern state of Bihar and has now covered the majority of states.
Opposition parties and critics say the latest revision, nearly two decades after the last, constitutes mass disenfranchisement to favour the BJP . They want the exercise scrapped and the old voter lists reinstated. The election commission says the numbers represent voter entries flagged during a draft revision, in an exercise still incomplete, while those wrongly removed can enrol again.
The opposition Congress , led by Rahul Gandhi , has called for a meeting of allies from more than a dozen parties opposed to Modi and the BJP. The opposition bloc will meet president Droupadi Murmu , a constitutional figurehead, on Friday evening.
Source: The Independent
