India 'cockroach' leaders detained after entering barricaded protest site

Leaders of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained early on Tuesday after they entered a heavily-guarded protest site and chanted slogans demanding the country's election chief resign over a controversial revision of electoral rolls.

Party founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a video showing Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das being taken away by police from Jantar Mantar, a historic Delhi observatory popular for protests.

Footage showed the two - along with others - climbing over police barricades before chanting slogans while holding the Indian flag.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opponents allege the voter list revision benefits his party, a charge it and the Election Commission reject.

There have been days of protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

Police have stepped up security across Delhi as demonstrators challenge restrictions on where protests can be held.

Early on Tuesday, Dipke, Das and Ranka all shared videos showing Das and Ranka entering Jantar Mantar.

Das also posted a message declaring that the site had been "reclaimed" and that they were being detained.