Thousands of security personnel were deployed in Delhi ahead of the sub-continental protest by the Cockroach Janta Party, which is calling for electoral reform. Access roads were blocked by barriers, and the Delhi police did not grant permission for the rally.
Despite the ban, the movement insisted that the protest would go ahead. During the arrest, protesters gathered at the rally could be heard banging on the windows of the buses.
The movement shared footage on social media showing its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, arrested alongside other leaders, shortly after they landed in the capital.
The Cockroach Party was formed in May, following Indian judges comparing unemployed youth to 'cockroaches'. The movement has since evolved into an organised platform demanding changes to the electoral system, and the weekend gathering in Delhi was its most high-profile appearance in the capital so far.
Security measures were extensive, with tens of thousands of security personnel deployed, and key roads in the city blocked. Despite this, organisers maintained that they would gather, leading to the arrest of the movement's leaders and tensions among the crowd.
