United News of Bangladesh

Indian authorities tightened security in the capital on Friday and announced transport restrictions ahead of a planned demonstration by the youth-led “Cockroach” movement, as protests against a controversial revision of voter lists continue to spread across the country. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to gather at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site on Saturday as opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and the country's election authorities intensifies. The protesters, joined by opposition parties, are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of manipulating voter lists through the revision process. Indian Railways announced the cancellation of several trains serving two New Delhi stations on Saturday, while the Delhi Metro said 57 stations would be closed. The restrictions could make it harder for supporters of the “Cockroach” movement, many of them students who rely on trains and the metro, to reach the protest venue. Local media reported that at least 23,000 police personnel had been deployed across the capital ahead of the demonstration. Police said the security measures were intended to maintain public order and prevent disruptions to the movement of people. The protests centre on a nationwide voter list review known as the Special Intensive Revision, which has been conducted in most Indian states and federally administered territories. More than 130 million names have been removed from the lists so far, prompting millions of people to appeal against the deletions. Although those affected can challenge the removal of their names, critics say the process can be difficult, particularly for people who lack older government records or other required documents. Opposition parties allege that the deletions have disproportionately affected their supporters and members of minority communities, while voters more likely to support Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have been retained or added to the lists. The Election Commission and the government have rejected the allegations, maintaining that the exercise is politically neutral and intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries. The “Cockroach” movement has played a leading role in the demonstrations. It began as an online youth campaign in May before expanding into street protests. Its earlier demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes over examination paper leaks led to the resignation of Modi's education minister in July. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has also become a prominent figure in the campaign. Police briefly detained him twice during protests in New Delhi this week. Ahead of Saturday's demonstration, student groups and activists accused police of detaining some protesters travelling to the capital. Local media also reported that police officers had visited several mosques in New Delhi and urged religious leaders to discourage people from attending the rally. Abhijeet Dipke, leader of the “Cockroach” movement, said on Friday that protesters would go ahead with the demonstration despite the detentions and restrictions. “This intimidation is not going to work, Modi,” Dipke wrote in a post on X. “The youth of this country are no longer scared of you.”