The leader of the Cockroach Janta party (CJP) youth movement, Abhijeet Dipke, was detained by police on Friday and then later formally arrested as authorities cracked down on fresh anti-government protests in the Indian capital.

Dipke was detained before a planned Friday evening demonstration he had called in central Delhi , urging supporters of the movement to come out and hold up the Indian flag.

On Saturday local media reported he was arrested “to prevent a breach of the peace”, with broadcasters NDTV and India Today saying he would be called before a special executive ⁠magistrate later in the day.

The Cockroach movement initially emerged back in May as online satire, but has since grown into one of the most substantial challenges to the powerful Modi government over its 12-year rule.

Alongside student groups and opposition parties, its supporters have in the past month been out on the streets across India’s biggest cities calling for the resignation of the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar,…