India detains thousands, locks down Delhi to block protest against election chief

Police detained more than 2,000 protesters and the founder of the "Cockroach" youth movement in Delhi on Saturday, Reuters reported, citing a Ministry of Home Affairs official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the city, mobile internet services were suspended in the central business district and dozens of metro stations and markets were shut as authorities moved to stop a demonstration organized by the Cockroach movement, Reuters reported.

The protest targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a revision of voter lists that critics say disproportionately benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The movement had planned to gather thousands of people at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, but security forces sealed off the area before the demonstration began.

Local media reported that about 400 protesters were detained in India's financial hub, Mumbai. Police did not immediately comment on the detentions.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan urged Indian authorities to engage in "meaningful dialogue" to address the "broadly held" concerns expressed.

The Indian mission to the UN in Geneva said in a statement that the Indian Constitution guarantees citizens the right to peaceful assembly. However, it stressed that citizens should exercise this right "subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order."

(With input from Reuters)