Story perspectives

Prakash Raj Joins Bengaluru Chappal Protest Over SIR Irregularities

By Drooid · Oct 7, 2026, 7:02 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Solidarity with Women Journalists

Citizens for Justice and Peace staged a “Chappal protest” at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on October 8, 2026, with actor Prakash Raj.
Organizers demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign, citing alleged SIR roll irregularities and testimonies from removed voters.
A 10:30 a.m. People’s Tribunal featured Karnataka voters removed by the SIR process.
Co-convener Ashutosh Ranka linked the protest to solidarity with women journalists reporting Delhi police harassment.

Left

Booth Officer Suicides

Citizens for Justice and Peace held a “Chappal protest” at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on October 8, 2026, with actor Prakash Raj among the participants.
Prakash Raj said the Special Intensive Revision removed over 13 crore voters, threatening marginalised communities and blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for refusing press conferences.
Raj warned that administrative pressure and inadequate training have pushed some booth officers to suicide.

Blindspot

Prakash Raj said the Special Intensive Revision has removed more than 13 crore people from voter rolls, citing Adivasis, daily-wage labourers, Dalits, Muslims and Christians among those affected.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

Intensive roll revisions began with the 1997 Assam purge that flagged 300,000 “D-voters,” and the Election Commission’s last standard intensive revision in 2003. After a 2025 Special Intensive Revision in Bihar cut about 47 lakh names—roughly 5 % of the electorate—the Supreme Court’s May 2026 ruling upheld the exercise, fueling today’s protest demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

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Solidarity with Women Journalists

Citizens for Justice and Peace staged a “Chappal protest” at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on October 8, 2026, with actor Prakash Raj.
Organizers demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign, citing alleged SIR roll irregularities and testimonies from removed voters.
A 10:30 a.m. People’s Tribunal featured Karnataka voters removed by the SIR process.
Co-convener Ashutosh Ranka linked the protest to solidarity with women journalists reporting Delhi police harassment.

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