Hundreds of supporters of India’s “Cockroach” youth movement protested in Mumbai on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over revisions to voter lists, the Associated Press reported.
The movement, which began as an online campaign and now calls itself the Cockroach Janata Party, has urged nationwide demonstrations. It previously organized protests over leaked examination papers and high youth unemployment that culminated in the resignation of India’s education minister in July.
Separately, police prevented student and civil society groups from gathering at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, to demand Kumar’s resignation. Officers detained dozens of protesters and some opposition leaders who were heading to the site, according to the Associated Press.
The protests add to pressure on India’s Election Commission, which oversees elections nationwide. Opposition parties and critics accuse the commission of changing voter registrations in ways that could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The commission and the government deny wrongdoing.
The Indian Express reported last month that two of the three election commissioners had formally objected to decisions concerning voter-list revisions, registration procedures and the commission’s digital systems. The report said the commissioners questioned the legality of some decisions, but that Kumar disregarded their objections. Indian law requires the three-member commission to make decisions by majority vote.
The Election Commission disputed the report, saying it reflected “differing views and deliberations” among the commissioners rather than formal written objections.
The voter-list revisions began last year in Bihar ahead of state elections and have expanded to most of India’s states and federally administered territories. Critics say the documents required to establish eligibility are confusing and difficult for many voters to provide, potentially leaving millions off the rolls. Election Commission data indicates that voter lists in some regions could shrink by as much as 30%.
The commission says the revisions are intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries while ensuring that eligible voters remain registered. Opposition parties and activists say the process risks excluding legitimate voters and accuse Kumar of political bias. The commission and Modi’s party have rejected those allegations.
Led by Abhijeet Dipke, the Cockroach movement has expanded its focus from education to government accountability and democratic institutions.
