Published Oct 08, 2026 | 3:24 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2026 | 3:24 PM
Over 2,000 people have converged at Freedom Park demanding SIR rollback.
Synopsis: National Film Award-winning actor and activist Prakash Raj said CEC Kumar was acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. His words resonated with the crowd that accused Kumar of being a “puppet” in the hands of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee has said that he was not seeking a regime change in India.
“I have not come here for regime change,” he said while addressing protesters at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday, 8 October. He alleged “zero transparency, zero accountability” from the Election Commission of India.
Freedom Park started filling up from the morning.
The protest, organised by a coalition of progressive groups and various civil society organisations, called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CCE) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
National Film Award-winning actor and activist Prakash Raj said CEC Kumar was acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Raj’s words resonated with the crowd that accused Kumar of being a “puppet” in the hands of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Raj further said the protest aims to scrap SIR. “Adivasi, the poor, Muslims and minorities have been denied their vote. Because you can’t kill them, you have taken their votes…Our fight is not just about the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. If he goes, someone else will come. We want SIR scrapped. Then Gyanesh Kumar should be investigated, and a case should be filed against him.”
Related: ‘Watchdogs, not lapdogs’: Dhruv Rathee, Parakala Prabhakar join anti-SIR stir
The crowd cheered loudly as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke addressed them.
“Why is there vote theft? In 2024, there was a 2% difference between the BJP and the opposition. So now they are deleting 30 crore votes across the country. Narendra Modi may have power, but we have the streets. We will reclaim our power from here,” he said.
He further “advised” Prime Minister Modi to ask what had happened to Hitler.
“One nation and one election is a slogan,” he said. But the intention is one nation, one party. This was the plan of Hitler as well. Modi should ask what happened to Hitler. He had to shoot himself,” the Boston-educated youth leader added.
In a post on X, CJP co-convener summed up the mood of the crowd at Freedom Park. “Bengaluru shows up! Gyanu, it’s done bro,” he said.
“All well-meaning citizens have united in this fight against Gyanu and his masters! The entire country is out on the road seeking accountability!” he said in another post.
The CJP, along with progressive students and youth organisations, are set to start a protest against SIR from Saturday, 10 October.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
