States » SouthPosted at: Oct 8 2026 3:35PM


Prakash Raj, Dipke join anti-SIR protest

Bengaluru, Oct 8 (UNI) The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls came under sharp attack in Bengaluru on Thursday as actor-activist Prakash Raj and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee joined Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke at a protest demanding an end to the exercise and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest at Freedom Park, organised as a "People's Tribunal", brought together alleged victims of SIR from across Karnataka, besides students, women, youth organisations and civil society groups.
The protesters accused the Election Commission of disenfranchising eligible voters through alleged wrongful deletions from electoral rolls and raised slogans including "SIR radd karo" and "Gyanesh Kumar gaddi chhodo".
They also displayed placards carrying messages such as "Error 404 - Name Not Found", "Vote theft" and "Don't erase us, hear us".
Addressing the gathering, Prakash Raj said the campaign was not merely about an individual but against the SIR exercise itself.
"The aim of this protest is not to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar alone. If he goes, another will replace him. The aim is to scrap the SIR," he said.
He alleged that the exercise had raised serious concerns over citizens' voting rights and urged people to join the campaign to "save democracy".
Rathee, who had announced his participation in the protest, joined Prakash Raj and Dipke on the stage as protesters intensified their opposition to the electoral roll revision.
The "People's Tribunal" provided a platform for people who claimed that their names had been deleted from electoral rolls during the SIR process. Organisers said their objective was to bring such cases into the public domain and highlight alleged discrepancies in the revision exercise.
The CJP has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, scrapping of SIR and restoration of earlier electoral rolls. It has also sought an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the exercise.
The Bengaluru protest marks a high-profile escalation of the campaign against SIR, with prominent public figures joining civil society groups and affected voters in questioning the electoral roll revision process.
The organisers also announced a symbolic "Chappal Protest" in solidarity with women and to highlight concerns over women's safety.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Prakash Raj# Dipke join anti-SIR protest
More News

SCR, IIM Bangalore join hands to boost rail freight business

08 Oct 2026 | 6:07 PM

Hyderabad, Oct 8 (UNI) South Central Railway (SCR) has partnered with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, to study the freight market and identify strategies to increase rail freight business and improve rail’s share in commodity transportation.

see more..

Temple tusker Brahmadathan’s ashes immersed in Bharathapuzha at Thirunavaya

08 Oct 2026 | 5:58 PM

Malappuram, Oct 8 (UNI) The ashes of popular temple tusker Pallatt Brahmadathan were immersed in the Bharathapuzha river at Thirunavaya here on Thursday, following his cremation at Melampara near Pala in Kottayam district of Kerala.

see more..

AP, Maharashtra ministers discuss development of Greenfield Ports, Fishing harbours

08 Oct 2026 | 5:39 PM

Vijayawada, Oct 8 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Minister for Road & Building and Infrastructure development, BC Janardhan Reddy, and Maharashtra Minister for Fisheries and Ports Nitesh Narayan Rane today discussed development of maritime ports, shipbuilding and logistics.

see more..

NPRD seeks better RTC facilities for persons with disabilities

08 Oct 2026 | 5:27 PM

Hyderabad, Oct 8 (UNI) The Telangana State Committee of the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) staged a protest at RTC Bus Bhavan on Thursday, demanding better travel facilities and implementation of reservation provisions for persons with disabilities.

see more..

Orders on Vijay's plea seeking to dismiss petition challenging his Perambur poll win on Oct 14 : Madras HC

08 Oct 2026 | 4:53 PM

Chennai, Oct 8 (UNI) The Madras High Court on Thursday reserved orders for October 14, on an petition filed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK Founder Vijay seeking to dismiss the election petition challenging his victory in the Perambur Assembly seat in the April 23 elections.

see more..