Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has been detained by Indian police at his residence in Gurugram on Saturday ahead of a planned protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in New Delhi over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, as authorities tightened security to prevent demonstrators from reaching the protest site.
Police detained Rathee at his home in Sector 56, Gurugram, as he was preparing to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, according to Indian media reports.
The detention came amid a wider preventive operation against protesters and activists seeking to participate in the rally.
The CJP condemned the detention of Rathee and other demonstrators, demanding their “immediate and unconditional release”.
In a press release, the party accused the government of attempting to suppress dissent over alleged electoral irregularities.
Delhi Police had refused permission for the demonstration earlier in the week, citing security concerns, procedural requirements and the late submission of the application.
Around 150 protesters had been detained at various locations in New Delhi as police sought to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar, the designated protest area in the capital.
Authorities had also introduced extensive security arrangements, including barricades and designated detention facilities, ahead of the planned gathering.
The demonstration centres on allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), an exercise to review and update electoral rolls, and demands for accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CJP has called for Kumar’s resignation over the controversy.
The dispute has drawn wider political attention, with critics questioning the voter-list revision process and raising concerns about its potential impact on eligible voters.
The Election Commission’s exercise has become a point of contention between opposition groups and the authorities.
The planned protest was expected to bring together CJP supporters and other activists in New Delhi.
Police restrictions and preventive detentions, however, raised concerns among organisers about the authorities’ handling of the demonstration.
