Indian authorities arrested three top leaders of the “Cockroaches” student movement on Saturday as police moved to prevent a planned demonstration demanding the resignation of the head of the Election Commission. According to local TV images, the founder of the “People’s Cockroaches Party” (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, said police were taking him and other leaders after they were detained aboard a flight heading to New Delhi. Police said the rally had not been authorized. The city centre was sealed off after authorities had been “cautioned” in advance by more than 20,000 police, according to Press Trust of India, and mobile internet was reported unavailable. Journalists with AFP said anyone attempting to reach the demonstration site at Jantar Mantar was repeatedly detained throughout the day. The Hindu reported that more than 5,000 people were arrested since the morning. Opposition leaders vowed to continue the confrontation. Rahul Gandhi, a senior opposition figure, urged people not to be discouraged by the crackdown, posting “Continue to protest” on social media and calling for continued mobilisation. Another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, said the arrests had reached 15,000. The movement is tied to wider protests against an electoral roll revision that, according to media counts, resulted in the removal of 130 million names from voter lists. The Election Commission (and its chair, Gyanesh Kumar) denied any irregularities in the revision. Critics allege the update targets minorities, including Muslims, and vulnerable groups, while supporters reject the claims. The crackdown against the latest planned protest drew criticism from opposition figures who accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of authoritarian drift. Police actions previously included a major crackdown in New Delhi on July 20 following protests by the same movement, after which rights groups and protesters said dozens were injured and police said the unrest involved hundreds of injuries.