India cracks down on youth protests as anger grows against Modi and election chief

An armored vehicle with a banner warning citizens against unlawful gathering stands near the venue of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Manish Swarup/AP hide caption Manish Swarup/AP Indian authorities deployed a sweeping security crackdown across New Delhi and detained thousands of protesters Saturday as India's youth "Cockroach" movement sought to intensify a nationwide campaign against a contentious voter list revision that has fueled anger at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government and election authorities. Police intercepted demonstrators before they could reach Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the heart of India's capital, chasing off some and detaining many others. Some were dragged away before being bundled into police vehicles and taken to temporary detention centers. Several "Cockroach" movement leaders were detained before arriving, effectively crippling the protest ahead of its start. The crackdown extended beyond the protest venue, with police stopping buses, cars and other vehicles at checkpoints on routes into ...