NEW DELHI, October 11, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Indian authorities detained more than 2,000 people and sealed off parts of New Delhi on Saturday to prevent a rally demanding the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner, escalating tensions over allegations that voter-list changes have favored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.
Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital, mobile internet services were suspended in the central business district, and dozens of metro stations and markets were closed. Security forces blocked access to Jantar Mantar, the planned gathering point for the protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth movement.
A Home Ministry official, speaking anonymously, told Reuters that more than 2,000 people had been detained in Delhi. Local media reported that about 400 protesters were held in Mumbai, India’s financial hub. Police did not immediately comment on the detentions.
The United Nations human rights office expressed concern over the mass arrests. Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called on authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and engage in “meaningful dialogue” to address what he described as widely held concerns.
India’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva rejected the criticism as “misplaced” and an “unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India.” It said the Constitution guaranteed peaceful assembly, subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.
Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka when their flight from Mumbai arrived in Delhi, the movement said. Television footage showed Dipke challenging officers on board the aircraft, telling them he was not afraid of arrest. The group condemned what it called the “authoritarian detention” of its leaders and vowed to continue demonstrations until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigned.
Some opposition lawmakers and former chief ministers were also detained, television channels reported. They included Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi and Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala. Representatives of two digital news outlets said police briefly detained four reporters covering the protests. A Reuters journalist was also briefly held before being released.
The demonstrations have become a major challenge for Modi as opposition parties accuse election authorities of improperly revising voter rolls ahead of recent state elections. The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported last week that two election commissioners had questioned Kumar’s revisions, which removed about 130 million entries.
Election Commission data show that the deletions included 63 million people who had relocated, 30 million who could not be traced and 28 million who had died. The commission says the figures relate to entries identified during a draft verification process and that eligible voters wrongly removed can re-enroll.
Opposition parties argue that the deletions affected recent state election results won by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumar has not commented, while the commission and the BJP deny wrongdoing. The party attributes its electoral success to Modi’s popularity and economic growth, and accuses opponents of spreading misinformation.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the opposition would not back down. BJP senior member Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party supported the right to demonstrate but accused rivals of weaponizing street protests after electoral defeats.
The unrest comes ahead of a series of important state elections beginning in early 2027, following months of protests over examination paper leaks that forced Modi’s education minister to resign.
