Delhi Builds Fortress Ahead of ‘Cockroach’ Protest
Delhi has been rolled out like a fortress, with more than 30,000 police and paramilitary officers posted around the capital as citizens brace for a massive demonstration by the Gen‑Z led “cockroach” movement.
The protest is set for Saturday at Jantar Mantar, the city’s prime public square, and seeks the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged manipulation of voter rolls and demands sweeping electoral reforms.
Despite police denying the protest permit and closing roads to the rally site with metal barricades, the movement’s founder Abhijeet Dipke has promised a march "come what may," even willing to face arrests or violence.
Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and others have staged short‑term demonstrations in Delhi, with police often breaking them up. The standoff has intensified as the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls has been accused of favoring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, a claim rejected by both the Commission and the government.
The mass police deployment has prompted city officials to urge residents to stay clear of protest areas, while student groups and farmer organisations have thrown their support behind the movement.
