Most Dangerous Countries See Youth Protests Escalate in India Over Voter Roll Changes
Youth-led protests against India's election authority continued this weekend in the most dangerous countries with the release of Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and activist Neha Bora from custody, while similar civil unrest unfolded in France, the United States and Israel. [1] [2]
Releases of Indian Protest Leaders
Abhijeet Dipke was arrested Friday in New Delhi while heading to a CJP protest rally and released Saturday afternoon. [1] He called for the release of two fellow leaders still in custody. [1] Dipke, 31, was detained Friday in New Delhi as he headed to join a rally that the CJP protest movement had called in the capital's central Connaught Place district. [1] He walked out of a police station Saturday afternoon waving to the media and giving a thumbs up as he was driven away. [1] "Abhijeet Dipke released," CJP legal affairs chief Ratna Singh said on social media. [1] Student activist Neha Bora, a prominent face of the protests, who was also detained on Friday as she tried to reach central Delhi with dozens of supporters, was released on Saturday. [1] Dipke had called Friday's protest in support of two CJP leaders jailed this week for demonstrating at a protest site in violation of a ban. [1] The two leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were arrested on October 14 after entering Jantar Mantar, a decades-old protest site that police have declared off-limits for demonstrations. [1] They remain in custody. [1] "Now just waiting for my brothers to be free", Dipke said in a post on X that included a photo of Ranka and Das. [1] CJP's co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka's five-day judicial custody ends on Saturday, and with the Delhi Police not having filed an extension plea yet, they may be released. [3] CJP's legal affairs head Ratna Singh said every required procedure regarding had been completed and they were “merely waiting for formal approval”. [3] The CJP said they had consulted with senior advocate Kapil Sibal, and alleged “deliberate use of delaying tactics” to keep Das and Ranka “behind bars.” [3] One of the primary conditions of Dipke's bail bond is to ensure there is no breach of peace on his end for a period of one year. [3] AISA national president Neha Bora had also been detained on Friday, but was released following overnight detention after formal procedures under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. [3]
Demands to Resign Election Chief
More than 130 million voters were reportedly deleted in a revision exercise that opponents say favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. [1] The Election Commission denies wrongdoing. [1] Opposition parties and CJP activists have defied a security crackdown, rallying to demand the resignation of India's chief election commissioner after accusing the poll body of manipulating voter rolls to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party. [1] The commission, which oversees voting in the world's most populous nation, has denied any wrongdoing. [1] The CJP, student organisations and the Opposition have staged continuous protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the special intensive revision exercise, following reports of objections being raised by the two Election Commissioners on the poll body's decisions. [3] The ECI has, in a statement, maintained that all decisions taken by it are unanimous. [3] "Please, spare the people of India. Impeach Gyanesh Kumar and halt SIR (special intensive revision), so that the ordinary citizens of this country can breathe a sigh of relief, feel at ease, and have their voting rights ensured," Bora told ANI news agency after she was released. [1] Members of Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have long alleged that large numbers of undocumented Muslim migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh have fraudulently entered India's electoral rolls. [1] Rights groups and critics however say the Modi government has eroded democratic freedoms during more than a decade in power, citing pressure on journalists, civil society groups and political opponents – allegations the government rejects. [1]
French Protests Turn Violent
In France, an estimated 800,000 people joined protests against austerity and cost-of-living issues that included looting, vandalism and a protester losing a hand to a police grenade. [2] JD Vance blamed immigration. [2] US Vice President JD Vance blamed immigration for violence during protests in France on Saturday, sharing footage of a city hall on fire and warning Americans that congressional Democrats sought a similar future for the United States. [2] Looters seized the opportunity to raid and vandalise a host of shops and businesses across France, from bakeries and supermarkets to tech stores. [2] A protester's hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade as nationwide demonstrations continued, with an estimated 800,000 people taking part. [2] Students, unions, and yellow vest protesters joined forces to protest against austerity measures and the cost of living. [2]
US 'No Kings' Actions Defy Nonpartisan Rules
In the US, 'No Kings' protesters against President Trump defied organizers' nonpartisan rules and openly called to 'vote blue' and remove Trump. [4] On South Washington Street, 26-year-old environmental engineer Nayely Cruz Hernandez had a straightforward message for voters as she joined a phalanx of protesters lining the street for nationwide "No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump: "Vote blue." [4] "We got to take the power away from Trump, from the Republicans," Hernandez told Fox News Digital. [4] "So we got to win the House, we got to win the Senate, not only in Virginia, but across the country." [4] Standing beside her boyfriend, Noah Schwarzott, 25, their 13-year-old Maltese-poodle, Maybellene, in her arms, Hernandez acknowledged that national No Kings organizers had their own rules for the protests to be "nonpartisan," but she wasn't following orders. [4] "The No King ... organizers can say whatever," she said. [4] "But I'm saying vote blue, because why are we here? Who's in the House? Who's in the Senate? Who is the President? It's red, it's Republicans, and it's Trump." [4] A Fox News Digital investigation documented about 300 organizations with $2.5 billion in combined annual revenues behind the "No Kings" protest network, including Democratic-aligned advocacy groups, major labor unions and nonprofits including MoveOn, the American Federation of Teachers and the ACLU. [4] Nearby, a man held a sign by a far-left group called "Refuse Fascism" with another message defying the organizers' guidance: "TRUMP MUST GO NOW!" [4] Another man held an inflatable balloon mocking Trump as a baby in a diaper. [4] Another sign said "86 47," the controversial message former FBI Director James Comey posted on social media and which federal prosecutors deemed an overt threat against Trump. [4]
Israeli Rally Against West Bank Violence
Israeli demonstrators in Tel Aviv protested settler violence in the West Bank, describing it as ethnic cleansing and demanding accountability for attacks on Palestinians, journalists and diplomats. [5] A group of Israeli demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against Israeli settler violence targeting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, calling for an end to attacks and greater accountability. [5] "We're protesting for the Palestinians for their right to justice, for their right to equal rights before the law, for their right to have their own state. We are protesting against the, the actions of the settlers and the actions which hurts us most of our army that is protecting the settlers," Tel Aviv resident Miriam Hirschfled said. [5] "And, we're protesting against the occupation. We think it's a disaster for them, and it's disaster for us. There's no future. We don't see that there's a future for us or for them if we won't be able to have some justice and some peace in the area." [5] Another Israeli protester, Martin Goldberg, said: "We are here this Saturday night as we've been here every Saturday night for the last four years to protest the policies of this government towards the Palestinian people. They're conducting a programme of ethnic cleansing out of the West Bank and, of course, the war on Gaza." [5] He added, "Yesterday we witnessed a brutal attack on the Washington Post journalist. Today we witnessed a brutal attack on European diplomats. And what I would like to tell you is that these attacks are nothing out of the ordinary." [5]
Political Reactions and Next Steps
BJP criticism linking protests to regime change, CJP warnings of legal action and calls to protect voting rights were noted. [1] [3] Members of Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have long alleged that large numbers of undocumented Muslim migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh have fraudulently entered India's electoral rolls. [1] BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Sunday criticised those he said had “justified violent protests”. [3] “Scenes of anarchy witnessed globally are a wake-up to many in India who glamorise & justify violent protest. These protests are no innocent expression of dissent; their end Goal is Regime Change!” Bhandari claimed in a post on X. [3] CJP's legal affairs head Ratna Singh had, in a post on X, alleged that Das and Ranka “could not come out” on Saturday because the investigating officer (IO) had come at 6 pm for a 2 pm hearing. [3] The CJP said they had consulted with senior advocate Kapil Sibal, and alleged “deliberate use of delaying tactics” to keep Das and Ranka “behind bars.” [3] "Because the day I decided to come back to India, I placed my fate in the hands of the people of India and the Constitution of this country." [1]
What to watch next: CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka may be released today as their five-day judicial custody ends, with Delhi Police not yet filing any custody extension plea. [3]
