Delhi Police Detain Cockroach Janata Party Leaders at Jantar Mantar

Delhi Police detained leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party and thousands of protesters on October 13, 2026, after volunteers jumped barricades to enter the Jantar Mantar observatory. The detentions occurred shortly after the government denotified Jantar Mantar as an official protest site. Protesters attempted to hoist the Indian national flag at the site while demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The unrest stems from a controversial revision of voter lists that removed over 130 million names since 2025. Opposition groups allege these deletions disproportionately target Muslim voters and other minorities to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party have denied these claims, asserting the process is legitimate and that wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol.

Founder Abhijeet Dipke condemned the arrests, stating that those who view hoisting the tricolor at Jantar Mantar as a violation are "traitors." The incident follows a massive march to the Supreme Court a day prior, where thousands petitioned for an audit of the deletions. In response to the detentions, the student organization Disha held a march from Connaught Place demanding the release of the party leaders and the reclamation of Jantar Mantar.