Economist Prabhakar to join Dipke, Prakash Raj, Neha at nationwide anti-SIR protests on October 23

Economist Parakala Prabhakar, actor-activist Prakash Raj, and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke will be among those leading a nationwide protest on Friday (October 23) against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Mr. Prabhakar said, “Har gali me Jantar Mantar!”

The protest, being organised by the People Against SIR alliance, will see activists, public figures, farmers’ and workers’ organisations, and student and youth groups mobilise across the country.

Among others who will be joining the protest include lawyer and activist Prashanth Bhushan, Anjali Bharadwaj, Ganesh Devy, activist and author Tushar Gandhi, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, AISA President Neha, SFI Joint Secretary Aishe Ghosh, and AISF National President Viraaj Devang.

The organisers have urged citizens to participate in marches and demonstrations in their respective localities, calling for a broader, people-led movement to oppose the SIR exercise. Their demands include restoring deleted names to electoral rolls, resignation and legal action against Gyanesh Kumar, repealing amendments to the Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and appointing Election Commissioners through an “unbiased” process. They have also called for electoral reforms, including a return to paper ballots.

The October 23 mobilisation follows the formation of People Against SIR last week, after an emergency consultation in Delhi attended by representatives of more than 200 organisations. The platform brings together civil society groups, farmers’ unions, workers’ organisations, and women’s and youth groups seeking to coordinate Opposition to the revision exercise.

The alliance has also appealed to parties in the INDIA bloc to join the march and support the protests against the SIR exercise.