Police in India have detained the founder and senior leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, along with dozens of protesters, in a sweeping crackdown aimed at preventing a mass demonstration in the capital, New Delhi.

The detentions took place on Saturday as authorities moved to block a youth-led protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief.

According to reports, the party's leaders were detained shortly after landing in New Delhi, where they had planned to lead the demonstration.

Scores of protesters were also taken into custody alongside the movement's leadership, sources said.

Authorities deployed thousands of security personnel across the capital in anticipation of the rally. Transport and telecommunications services were suspended, and sweeping restrictions were imposed across the city.

The measures were described as part of a coordinated effort by authorities to thwart the planned demonstration before it could take place.

The protest had been organised by a youth-led movement calling for the resignation of India's top election official. No further details on the specific grievances or the identity of the official targeted were provided in available reports.

It was not immediately clear how many people in total were detained or whether any charges had been filed.