India
oi-Oneindia Staff
The UN human rights office has called on Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful protest following reports of mass detentions during demonstrations in Delhi on Saturday. It also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of anyone detained arbitrarily.
The UN human rights office urged India to respect peaceful protest rights and release detainees following Saturday’s mass detentions in Delhi during a CJP demonstration demanding electoral reforms and CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged voter list irregularities.
Hundreds of people were detained after security forces stopped the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from taking its planned protest to Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. The demonstration sought electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in voter lists. Both the Election Commission and the BJP have denied claims of manipulation.
UN Raises Concerns Over Mass Detentions
In a statement on Saturday, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the office was “concerned by reports of mass detentions in India of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi”.
“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled,” it said. “Restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.”
#India: We are concerned by reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi. We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled.https://t.co/tqrQyZoXBJ
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) October 10, 2026
Al-Kheetan also called on Indian authorities to ensure that law enforcement personnel exercise “utmost restraint” in responding to peaceful protesters, consistent with the country’s democratic traditions and human rights obligations.
“All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released,” he said. The UN also urged the authorities to “engage in meaningful dialogue to address the broadly held concerns expressed”.
CJP Leaders Detained Ahead Of Protest
The CJP had planned to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, a landmark in central Delhi. Delhi Police had refused permission for the protest, while heavy security measures and roadblocks prevented most demonstrators from reaching the area.
The CJP’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and two other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi, the group said. Delhi Police have not publicly commented on their detentions.
Electoral Roll Revision At Centre Of Dispute
The CJP and opposition parties have accused CEC Kumar of favouring the BJP in the updating of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has said its nationwide revision of voter lists, termed Special Intensive Revision (SIR), is a routine exercise to remove the names of dead, duplicate or ineligible voters.
Tens of thousands of people in several states have alleged that their names were wrongly removed from electoral rolls. However, the Election Commission has denied allegations of political interference.
CJP’s Earlier Protests And BJP’s Response
The CJP is a Gen Z-led satirical movement that is not registered as a political party. It emerged in May after its founder, Dipke, posted a question on X in response to India’s chief justice likening some unemployed young people to “cockroaches”. The post went viral, leading to the formation of the movement.
The group became a major protest movement during weeks of demonstrations over the summer, demanding education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests ended in July after Pradhan resigned. The CJP has now returned to the streets demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of CEC Kumar.
The BJP criticised Saturday’s protests, accusing opposition groups led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and associates of Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal of trying to destabilise the country.
BJP president Nitin Nabin alleged that the groups were pursuing their political agendas “at the behest of foreign forces”. He also accused them of refusing to accept the people’s verdict and trying to create instability instead, adding that Indian democracy was strong enough to thwart their efforts.
