NEW DELHI — Indian police detained thousands of people and sealed off parts of the capital on Saturday as a youth-led movement tried to hold a protest against a sweeping revision of the country’s voter lists and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Demonstrators were stopped on their way to Jantar Mantar, an established protest site in central New Delhi. Police set up checkpoints on roads into the city, barricaded the area and stationed vehicles equipped with tear-gas launchers nearby. Authorities also restricted mobile internet access and movement in parts of the capital. Police said the protest had been denied permission because organizers applied late. Three leaders of the “Cockroach” movement — Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka — were detained at Delhi airport after arriving from Mumbai. The group said police had targeted its leaders to disrupt what it described as a peaceful demonstration. Some protesters breached police lines before being detained. The dispute centers on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, which has removed more than 130 million names so far. Opposition parties argue eligible voters have been disenfranchised and allege that people more likely to support their parties have been disproportionately affected. The commission and the government reject claims of political manipulation, saying the review is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. The protest came amid a broader campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The Cockroach movement began online in May and first drew attention through demonstrations over alleged exam-paper leaks. Those protests preceded the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July. The voter-list controversy has since become another rallying point for opponents of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Tanya Negi, a college student who traveled from Mumbai, questioned the use of force against demonstrators. She said peaceful protest was being suppressed and asked why young people should not defend their rights. Opposition lawmaker John Brittas also criticized the restrictions, describing the capital as under siege and questioning the state of democracy. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained during protests in the city earlier in the week, as he and other politicians accused the Election Commission of conducting the revision in a way that benefits the governing party. The commission and government deny the charge. The crackdown signals the authorities’ determination to contain a campaign that has drawn thousands of young people and support from opposition parties. The political impact remains uncertain. National elections are scheduled for 2029, while state elections next year in BJP-governed Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat will offer an earlier test of the party’s standing.