Bengaluru, Oct 2026 : Thousands of people gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Thursday to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the withdrawal of the exercise and restoration of voter lists to their pre-SIR status.
The demonstration was organised by various social organisations and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), with actor-activist Prakash Raj, CJP founder Abhijeeth Deepke, filmmaker and activist Kavita Lankesh, and other public figures participating.
The protesters also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the electoral roll revision had adversely affected genuine voters. Speakers questioned the transparency of the exercise and called on the Election Commission to provide greater accountability and disclose details of the process.
Addressing the gathering, participants argued that concerns over electoral rolls went beyond political affiliations and involved the fundamental voting rights of citizens. They raised questions about reported revisions and deletions of voter names in several states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Goa.
Some protesters alleged that names had been removed from electoral rolls without adequate transparency, prior notice or adherence to due procedure. They demanded corrective measures and the publication of relevant data to enable voters to verify their status.
Prakash Raj questioned the manner in which the SIR exercise was being conducted and alleged that Kumar was not functioning independently. The allegations were raised by protesters as they called for changes to the revision process.
A key feature of the demonstration was a “People’s Tribunal”, organised to provide a platform for voters from Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka to share their experiences. Participants spoke about alleged deletions of names from electoral rolls and concerns over the procedures followed during the revision exercise.
Organisers said the tribunal was intended to bring voters’ grievances into the public domain and strengthen demands for transparency. Protesters accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address concerns surrounding the exercise and urged it to take immediate corrective action.
The demonstration took place amid continuing opposition-led protests against the SIR process and demands for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Heavy security arrangements were put in place around Freedom Park and along routes leading to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bengaluru. Police personnel and barricades were deployed to maintain law and order during the gathering.
The protesters reiterated that electoral roll revisions must be transparent and that eligible voters should not be deprived of their voting rights because of procedural shortcomings
