Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on November 5, opposing the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demonstration, held between 11 AM and 2 PM, brought together leaders and members of several opposition parties.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and called for the withdrawal of the SIR exercise. They also raised objections to the existing law governing the appointment and immunity of election commissioners, seeking changes to the appointment process.
Karnataka Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad, along with representatives of the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation and Forward Bloc, participated in the demonstration. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also joined the protest.
The opposition alliance accused the BJP of misusing constitutional institutions and alleged that the electoral roll revision process could affect the voting rights of eligible citizens. The leaders called for greater transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Election Commission.
A mock arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar was also staged during the demonstration, drawing attention to the protesters' demands.
The Bengaluru protest followed a similar INDIA bloc demonstration at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The alliance has announced plans to expand its campaign across Karnataka, with further demonstrations at district, taluk and block levels.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission maintains that the SIR exercise is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. The opposition, however, continues to raise concerns about its implementation and safeguards for eligible voters.
0 comments
No comments yet. Yours would be the first.