US donors opposed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are funding the country’s youth-led ‘Cockroach’ protest movement, American singer Mary Millben has alleged, calling for a peaceful counter-movement. Her remarks come as two leaders of the group were jailed for five days following a protest in New Delhi.

Unnamed American donors are financing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and his movement, Millben claimed in a X post on Wednesday. She said such donors follow a pattern of recruiting US-educated activists to challenge conservative leaders in their home countries.

Dipke earlier rejected foreign-funding allegations, saying CJP organizers and friends pool money to finance protests.

The American singer performed India’s national anthem at an Indian diaspora event attended by Modi in Washington, DC, in June 2023, during his state visit to the US.

Millben backed Modi, saying the Indian prime minister would not yield to disruptive forces from the US. She did not identify the alleged donors, or provide evidence of any financial transfers. 

The Indian capital saw massive protests last week, spearheaded by the opposition despite police locking down the city. They were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a nationwide electoral-roll revision that has removed more than 130 million names since last year, including those recorded as deceased, relocated, or untraceable.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has also accused CJP leaders and opposition politicians of attempting to destabilize India at the direction of foreign powers.

“This is not the time to be silent,” Millben wrote, urging young Indians to organize peaceful demonstrations against the CJP. “There should always be a counter movement to uphold democracy and freedom.”

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das and co-convener Ashutosh Ranka were sentenced to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday after joining protesters who climbed barricades to enter Jantar Mantar, a historic site in central Delhi, which the police had denotified as an approved protest venue.

The two were detained for allegedly violating undertakings to maintain public order that they had given following their detention last weekend.

The CJP emerged from a viral satirical post responding to remarks by India’s chief justice comparing unemployed youth to “cockroaches.” The movement has since organized protests over education, employment, and the alleged irregularities in voter lists.