Indian police set to formally arrest Cockroach movement founder as hundreds defy Delhi crackdown to wave national flag

Indian police have initially detained Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, on Friday ahead of a planned flag-waving rally in central Delhi, and are set to formally arrest him. Student activist Neha Bora was also hauled into preventive custody as she attempted to reach the protest site with dozens of supporters. Authorities shut Central Park in Connaught Place, flooded the area with hundreds of riot-gear officers, and banned public gatherings — yet nearly 500 demonstrators still poured in to wave the national flag.

The Cockroach movement is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a voter-roll revision that deleted 130 million names, which critics say disproportionately targets minorities and favours Modi's BJP.

Dipke's expected formal arrest follows the jailing this week of two fellow CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, sentenced to five days for protesting at a restricted site — the trigger for Friday's rally.

'This government is so scared of the youth waving the national flag,' the CJP posted on X as Dipke was driven away in a police car, having been detained once already this week.