India's youth-led Cockroach movement initiated new nationwide protests on Friday, 2 October 2026, with thousands gathering in Mumbai. The demonstrations stem from concerns that millions of citizens are being unfairly removed from the voter roll.
The movement, known as the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Kumar has become a contentious figure following allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which he oversaw. This process has resulted in tens of millions of people being deleted from the electoral register, with many challenging their removal.
Opposition politicians and civil society groups have alleged that SIR is part of a broader manipulation of India’s electoral system. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced last week that protests would resume if Kumar did not resign. While authorities denied permission for the Mumbai protest, it proceeded.
In Delhi, anger also erupted, with police deploying thousands of officers, closing metro stations, and imposing an internet shutdown. Hundreds of protesters, including civil society leaders and opposition politicians, were detained at the Jantar Mantar protest site. Opposition lawmakers plan to march to the election commission office in Delhi next week.