India releases 'cockroach' leaders as movement calls for more protests

India releases 'cockroach' leaders as movement calls for more protests

The full report

Leaders of the youth-led protest movement demanding India's election commissioner step down say the "fight has just begun" after they were released from detention following a large demonstration in Delhi. The Supreme Court passed a slew of directions as it held a special Sunday hearing over restrictions and detentions by Indian authorities to stop demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for Saturday's protest. The court ordered that there should not be any illegal detentions of people gathering peacefully, "except by procedure established by law, particularly with regard to assemblage of people beyond the area within which it's imposed."

The Supreme Court also ordered the restoration of Delhi metro and railway services, unless regulations were required to be imposed, keeping in mind disturbance to public order. It also ordered that lawyers and journalists should not be impeded from carrying out their professional duties, after Saturday's police action saw several lawyers and journalists being detained along with the protesters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says that protests over alleged voter list manipulation are an attempt to "create a highly dangerous and serious situation in the country." The party has denounced the CJP and the INDIA bloc of opposition parties as "anarchists".

The leaders of the youth movement and protesters were detained in Delhi on Saturday ahead of a major demonstration against India's election commissioner. The CJP and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi have vowed to press ahead with protests on Monday, despite a crackdown by authorities.

Reporting status

This original NewNWS report was drafted from the cited source material and passed a second evidence check. Claims that remain the account of one publisher are attributed in the source disclosure below.