India jails cockroach movement leaders over election protests
Two leaders of India's cockroach movement entered a protest site. Police jailed them for five days.
Police in New Delhi arrested two leaders of India's cockroach youth movement. The leaders crossed barriers to enter Jantar Mantar, a historic site popular for demonstrations.
Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were among about a dozen people arrested on Tuesday. Ranka and Das chanted slogans demanding the election chief's resignation.
Police said the site is no longer an official protest area. They charged them with trespassing.
The arrests are part of a bigger crackdown over the weekend. It briefly held thousands of mostly young demonstrators.
The cockroach movement began as online satire this summer. It started after India's chief justice compared unemployed young people to parasites.
Young Indians adopted the cockroach as a symbol of strength. The movement has forced one minister's resignation and now faces growing police action.
- Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das
- Leaders arrested
- 5 days
- Jail term
- Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
- Protest site
- 130 million
- Voter names removed
Why it mattersThis shows growing tension between India's government and young protesters. It risks bigger unrest. This comes at a time when daily protests already challenge the government.
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