Bengaluru: Freedom Park in Bengaluru witnessed a major protest on Thursday as more than 2,000 people gathered for a state-level demonstration and a ‘People’s Tribunal’ opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The programme brought together civil society groups, youth organisations and activists, with YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee joining a public protest in India for the first time. Actor-activist Prakash Raj, political commentator Parakala Prabhakar, veteran writer Devanuru Mahadeva and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke were among those associated with the event.

The organisers demanded that the SIR exercise be scrapped and also raised the issue of returning to paper ballots. The event was organised amid continuing political and public debate over the electoral roll revision process in Karnataka.

Protesters raise concerns over voter deletions

The demonstrators displayed posters and banners carrying messages including “Scrap SIR”, “Sack Gyanesh Kumar” and “Bring back ballot papers”.

Organisers alleged that the SIR exercise could result in the exclusion of eligible voters and questioned the transparency of the electoral roll revision process.

They claimed that Karnataka has around 5.5 crore voters and alleged that more than one crore names were at risk of exclusion while Form 6 and Form 7 applications were being processed. These figures and allegations were part of the protesters’ claims and were not independently established at the event.

The protest leaders also accused the Election Commission of India of failing to adequately address their concerns. Several speakers called for greater transparency and accountability in the revision process.

The event also saw posters commemorating revolutionary figures including Che Guevara, Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad.

Dhruv Rathee joins protest

Dhruv Rathee’s participation was one of the major highlights of the Bengaluru demonstration.

Prakash Raj had announced Rathee’s participation ahead of the event, describing him as a special guest. Rathee subsequently confirmed his participation through a video posted on X.

Rathee joined Prakash Raj and other participants at the Freedom Park event, where concerns over the SIR process and electoral transparency took centre stage.

The participation of Rathee, Prakash Raj and other public figures attracted significant attention, particularly among young people and social media users.

Prakash Raj demands scrapping of SIR

Prakash Raj has been among the prominent public figures criticising the SIR exercise and had appealed to citizens to attend the Bengaluru programme.

The actor-activist has argued that people who believe they have been wrongly removed from voter lists should be given a platform to raise their concerns.

The organisers said the Bengaluru tribunal would provide such a platform by allowing people from different parts of Karnataka to present their experiences relating to the revision of electoral rolls.

People’s Tribunal hears voter concerns

A key component of the programme was the People’s Tribunal, described by organisers as a forum to hear testimonies from people who claim to have been affected by the SIR process.

Citizens from different parts of Karnataka were expected to appear before the tribunal and present complaints relating to alleged wrongful deletion of names from electoral rolls.

The programme was organised by CJP along with youth organisations and civil society groups. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-conveners and other organisers were involved in the proceedings.

The organisers said the testimonies would focus on alleged administrative errors and difficulties faced by voters during the revision exercise.

The tribunal format was intended to bring individual accounts into the public domain and highlight concerns about the implementation of the electoral roll revision.

Former minister Mukhyamantri Chandru criticises SIR

Former minister Mukhyamantri Chandru also criticised the Union government’s policies while speaking at the event.

He alleged that the SIR process could affect the voting rights of legitimate citizens and described it as an attempt to influence electoral outcomes.

Chandru also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His remarks reflected the broader political criticism raised by protesters against the SIR exercise.

The allegations made by speakers at the demonstration represented their political positions and concerns about the electoral process.

Protest followed by ‘Chappal protest’

The People’s Tribunal was part of a larger programme announced by CJP.

According to organisers, a ‘Chappal protest’ was scheduled to follow the tribunal. CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said the programme would also interact with Kannadigas who allegedly had their names wrongly removed from electoral rolls.

Organisers said the later demonstration was being held in solidarity with women. The combined programme was presented as part of the group’s wider campaign concerning electoral rights and other public issues.

Heavy security deployed at Freedom Park

The Bengaluru city police deployed a large security contingent around Freedom Park in view of the gathering.

Nearly 900 police personnel were reportedly deployed to maintain law and order and regulate traffic around Seshadri Road.

Security was tightened around the venue as thousands of protesters, activists and supporters gathered for the programme.

The police deployment was also aimed at preventing traffic disruptions in the surrounding areas as the event attracted a large crowd.

SIR remains a major political issue in Karnataka

The Freedom Park demonstration comes amid an ongoing debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka.

The Election Commission’s revision exercise has generated competing arguments. Protest organisers and several public figures have raised concerns about possible wrongful exclusions, while the revision process is intended to update electoral rolls and identify eligible voters as well as entries requiring correction or removal.

The Bengaluru demonstration has added another public dimension to the debate, with civil society groups seeking greater scrutiny of the process and affected voters being invited to share their experiences.

With the People’s Tribunal and subsequent demonstrations, the SIR issue is likely to remain a prominent subject of political and civic discussion in Karnataka.