Bengaluru: Various social organisations and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Thursday organised a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding that the exercise be withdrawn and electoral rolls be restored to their pre-SIR status.
Thousands of people gathered at the venue, with actor-activist Prakash Raj, CJP leaders and other public figures participating in the protest.
The protesters also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the revision process had adversely affected genuine voters.
Addressing the gathering, speakers expressed concerns over the transparency of the SIR exercise and called for greater accountability in the electoral roll revision process.
Several participants said the issue went beyond political affiliations and concerned the voting rights of citizens across the country.
Questions were also raised over reported revisions and deletions in electoral rolls in several states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Goa. Speakers sought greater disclosure from the Election Commission regarding the process and methodology adopted during the revision exercise.
Some participants alleged that voter names had been removed from electoral rolls without adequate transparency, while calling for corrective measures and public disclosure of relevant data.
The protest was attended by CJP founder Abhijeeth Deepke, actor and activist Prakash Raj, director and activist Kavita Lankesh, and other prominent personalities.
Prakash Raj alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was not acting independently and questioned the manner in which the SIR exercise was being carried out.
The venue also hosted a “People’s Tribunal”, where organisers provided a platform for voters from Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka to share experiences relating to alleged deletion of names from electoral rolls without prior notice or due procedure.
The protesters demanded immediate corrective measures and accused the Election Commission of not adequately addressing concerns raised over the SIR process.
Heavy security arrangements were made around Freedom Park and on routes leading to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bengaluru, with police personnel and barricades deployed to maintain law and order.
–IANS–
