Prakash Raj, Dhruv Rathee Join Anti-SIR Protest In Bengaluru, Demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation

Actor-activist Prakash Raj, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke led a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Thursday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the exercise, PTI reports.

A large number of people from different walks of life, including women and students, gathered at the venue to oppose the revision process. Protesters raised slogans demanding that the SIR exercise be scrapped and Kumar step down. The demonstration reflected growing concerns among participants over alleged voter deletions and their impact on democratic rights.

Protesters Raise Slogans Against SIR

According to the organisers, the demonstration was organised as a people’s tribunal for victims of the SIR exercise from across Karnataka. It was also set to be followed by a “Chappal protest” in solidarity with women.

Protesters carried posters with messages such as “Error 404 - Name Not Found”, “It’s done bro, resign sir” and “Don’t erase us, hear us”. Some also raised slogans including “Dictatorship will not be tolerated”, “Vote theft” and “Gyanesh Kumar Gaddi leave your chair”.

Freedom Fighters Feature On Protest Posters

Posters featuring freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose were also seen at the protest site. Another poster carried the message “Grand Theft Democracy”, reflecting the protesters’ criticism of the electoral roll revision exercise.

The slogans and posters highlighted the protesters’ concerns about voting rights and the electoral process. Their central demand was the cancellation of the SIR exercise and the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Bengaluru Engineer Alleges His Name Was Deleted

Among the protesters was Mujibur Rehman, a Bengaluru-based software engineer, who alleged that his name had been removed from the electoral roll without his knowledge.

“It is our democratic right. We have been robbed of our right to vote. We have to be together to save democracy, because I have lost my own vote,” Rehman said.

He further alleged that he did not know who had submitted the Form 7 application seeking the deletion of his name from the electoral roll. His complaint brought attention to the concerns raised by protesters over the removal of voters’ names.

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Tight Security At Freedom Park

Police made tight security arrangements at Freedom Park to prevent any untoward incident during the demonstration.

The protest brought together activists, students, women and other citizens who demanded accountability over the alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. While the allegations remain unverified in the information provided, the demonstration underlined the protesters’ demand for transparency and protection of voting rights.