Leaders of the 'Cockroach' (سوسک) movement in India announced that their struggle has just begun after holding a large demonstration in New Delhi. Saurav Das, one of the leaders of this movement, urged people to peacefully take to the streets and continue the protests.
Call for Peaceful Demonstrations
Saurav Das stated at a press conference: "This demonstration continues." He referred to reports of the arrest of protesters on the second day of the protests and added: "We will not go back, and we ask all Indian citizens to fight. Wherever you are, you must protest peacefully."
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Das also referred to corruption in the system, saying: "This system cannot continue like this. This system is broken and corrupt and only works for two people." He mentioned Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, and Amit Shah, the Minister of Home Affairs.
Continuation of Protests and Reactions
Ashutosh Ranka, another leader of the movement, announced that peaceful protesters who wanted to demonstrate in a designated area had been arrested. He said: "The struggle has just begun, and Modi and Shah should be ashamed of their behavior."
Das also pointed to the behavior of the police, stating: "The police attacked us like the mafia and kidnapped us." He added that during their arrest, they were not allowed to meet with their lawyers. While protests continue in New Delhi, published images show that a number of protesters are moving towards the demonstration site at Jantar Mantar.
The Ministry of External Affairs of India responded to the statements from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which called for the immediate release of detainees, labeling it as "unjustified." The ministry stated that India is the world's largest democracy and the right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in the constitution.
The 'Cockroach' movement, which started as an online movement, became a pressure group in July and is now seeking the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner of India. On Saturday, a demonstration was also held in Mumbai, leading to the arrest of about 600 protesters.
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