India: Leader of the 'Cockroach' protest movement released from custody - New Delhi braces for massive demonstrations
The leader of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijit Deepaki, was released to house arrest after being forcibly removed from a flight upon landing in New Delhi. The Supreme Court intervened and ordered his release. The protest, which grew out of unemployment and education failures, now centers on a controversial voter registration reform that has removed millions of names from the rolls. New Delhi is bracing for massive demonstrations.
The leader of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijit Deepaki, was released this morning to house arrest after being forcibly removed from a flight upon landing in New Delhi and taken for questioning. India's Supreme Court intervened in an urgent hearing and ordered his release, instructing the police to cease illegal arrests and restore internet services. The protest, which grew out of the unemployment crisis and failures of the education system, now centers on a controversial voter registration reform that has removed millions of names from the electoral roll – a step the opposition defines as deliberate "vote theft." Deepaki emerged to his supporters and declared that the attempt to silence him proved the justice of their struggle. New Delhi is bracing for massive demonstrations, with thousands of security forces blocking access to the city, shutting down metro stations, and cutting mobile internet. The opposition bloc announced its intention to hold a massive political march.