Youth-led protests continued in New Delhi, India, on October 11, 2026, following the detention of thousands of demonstrators, including leaders from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition politicians, during a crackdown on protests the previous day. Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP leader, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his release, calling him a "bully". The protests are primarily focused on demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who is accused of overseeing a revision of voter lists that allegedly benefits Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The protests were sparked by a report from the Indian Express, which indicated that two election commissioners had raised objections to Kumar's decisions. In response to the planned protests, New Delhi was heavily fortified with police and paramilitary forces, resulting in the suspension of mobile internet services and the sealing off of protest sites, including Jantar Mantar, where previous protests had taken place.
During the crackdown, police detained several prominent figures, including CJP founder Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. Despite the heavy police presence, smaller protests occurred in various locations, including the Dilli Haat market, but were also dispersed by law enforcement. The CJP announced plans for further protests in other cities, while the opposition alliance, the INDIA Bloc, is expected to hold a protest in New Delhi on October 12.
The BJP has defended the voter list revisions, claiming that many of the deleted names belong to deceased individuals or those who have relocated. Critics argue that the protests highlight broader issues of democracy and dissent under the Modi government. The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed concern over the mass detentions, urging the Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly. In contrast, the Indian mission to the UN dismissed these concerns as interference in domestic affairs, asserting that the right to assembly is subject to reasonable restrictions for public order.