SIR: Civil society, youth groups rally in Bengaluru over voter roll revision

Civil society groups, student organisations, activists and digital influencers gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Thursday to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), alleging that the exercise could lead to large-scale voter disenfranchisement in Karnataka.

The protesters demanded the immediate withdrawal of the revision drive, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and a return to paper ballots. Organisers argued that the ongoing verification process lacks transparency and risks excluding genuine voters from the electoral rolls ahead of future elections.

The demonstration saw participation of many young and first-time voters. Among those present were YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, actor-activist Prakash Raj, political commentator Parakala Prabhakar, Kannada writer Devanuru Mahadeva and Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke. Student bodies, including the All India Students Association (AISA), also joined the protest.


Also read: INDIA bloc to protest at Rajghat as Kharge hosts 2nd lunch for Opposition MPs

As part of the agitation, organisers conducted a “People’s Tribunal” where citizens narrated instances of their names allegedly being removed from voter lists without prior notice or verification. Addressing the gathering, Prakash Raj accused the ECI of carrying out an arbitrary exercise that undermines citizens’ democratic rights.

Protestors claimed that more than one crore voters in Karnataka could potentially face deletion from electoral rolls if Forms 6 and 7, used for voter inclusion and objections respectively, are misused. Speakers also questioned the independence of the ECI and alleged that the revision process could affect the credibility of elections.

Protesters carried placards reading “Scrap SIR” and “Sack Gyanesh Kumar”. Bengaluru Police heightened security around Freedom Park and nearby central business district areas, citing the scale of the gathering and the venue’s proximity to election offices.