An Indian court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, two prominent leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), for an additional two days. The extension comes amid a significant crackdown on near-daily protests that have been challenging the government's recent revision of voter lists.

The CJP, a youth-led movement, has been at the forefront of demonstrations demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner over the controversial voter roll changes. Critics allege that the revisions unfairly benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ranka and Das were among 14 activists arrested last week for entering the Jantar Mantar observatory, a historic protest site, on the day it was removed from a list of approved demonstration locations. A subsequent court decision had initially sent them to prison for five days. Police sought further detention to continue their questioning, a request that the court granted on Monday evening.

The CJP's legal head, Ratna Singh, criticized the court's decision, calling it a "mockery of the judicial system" and announced plans to challenge the extension in a higher court. Delhi Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The protests, led by the CJP in conjunction with opposition parties and student organizations, have focused on the removal of approximately 130 million names from voter lists. The Election Commission has stated that the removed names include deceased individuals, those who have relocated, and others who could not be traced. The commission has denied any political bias and indicated that wrongly deleted voters can re-register.

The ruling BJP has countered these accusations, asserting that such challenges to electoral processes are attempts to undermine democracy. The political tension has been palpable, with the BJP accusing opposition groups of spreading misinformation.

In a related development on Friday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with several student leaders and supporters, were detained as hundreds gathered in New Delhi for a protest supporting Das and Ranka. Despite these detentions, the CJP has vowed to continue its activism, highlighting a recent success where a CJP-led sit-in led to the resignation of the Education Minister over exam paper leaks.

The broader implications of this extended detention and ongoing protests point to a heightened political climate in India, particularly concerning electoral integrity and freedom of assembly. The CJP's past successes suggest their determination to pursue their demands, while the government's response indicates a firm stance against what it deems disruptive protests.