Prakash Raj Protests CEC Gyanesh Kumar Voter Roll Deletions
Actor Prakash Raj demands scrapping of the SIR voter roll revision, calling it a 'deleting process,' as protests erupt in Delhi and Mumbai.
Protests erupted in Delhi and Mumbai demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged mass voter deletions. A coalition including the Telangana People's Front and the Cockroach Janta Party organized the demonstrations on Saturday, calling for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the repeal of the Chief Election Commissioner Act of 2023. The protestors gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 2, despite police denying permission for the event. Authorities deployed additional personnel and barricades, anticipating a crowd of three to four thousand people. Internet services were suspended around the protest site. In Mumbai, police cited a 2013 Bombay High Court order and the area's silence-zone status to deny permission for a planned demonstration. Organizers there announced a 'Jail Bharo Andolan' for later in the day. Protesters displayed posters with messages like 'Gyanesh, It's Done Bro!' and 'Save Democracy.' The protests received support from student groups, lawyers like Prashant Bhushan, and political leaders across party lines. Actor and activist Prakash Raj led the opposition, demanding the SIR process be stalled and scrapped. He criticized the exercise, stating it is a deleting process, not an inclusive one. Raj argued that daily wage workers who have gone elsewhere for work have been removed from the electoral rolls. He urged people to participate in the demonstrations in Delhi and Mumbai. Prakash Raj shared a video message on Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday. "Happy Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. It’s our Bapu’s day," he said. "But as we celebrate, we should not forget there are certain goons who are celebrating Godse, who killed our Mahatma." He later focused his remarks on the protests against the SIR. Raj demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He invoked a popular dialogue from actor Salman Khan, declaring it was 'done' for the Election Commissioner. In a pointed metaphor, Raj stated that while the ritual immersion of Ganesh idols was complete across the country, the symbolic 'visarjan' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar remained pending. He framed the SIR, initially described as a cleaning-up process, as a threat to citizenship and democracy. And these are the same goons who are trying to kill our citizenship, our democracy, through SIR, Raj said. But the youth of this country, the civil society, the cockroaches will not let this happen. He specifically called out the Commissioner, saying, Ganesh visarjan is over in Karnataka, Andhra and entire India. Now, Gyanesh Kumar visarjan remains. The actor warned that it may take ten to twelve years to decide the 38 lakh appeals from voters in West Bengal who were removed from the electoral rolls and are seeking inclusion. Political reactions were swift. Telangana BJP chief spokesperson N V Subhash criticized Prakash Raj for what he termed 'insulting' remarks against the Chief Election Commissioner. In Mumbai, Citizens for Justice and Peace founder Abhijeet Dipke called for Kumar's resignation and warned that protests could expand to other parts of the country if demands were not met. The article closes on Prakash Raj's declaration that CEC Gyanesh Kumar's 'visarjan' remains pending, framing the protest as an ongoing democratic struggle.
