Hundreds demand removal of Gyanesh Kumar in anti-SIR protest in Hyderabad

Opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleging illegal deletion of over 13 crore voters across the country in the process, hundreds from minority communities along with the representatives of voluntary organisations staged a demonstration at Dharna Chowk here on Sunday.

Organised by ‘People against SIR’, a combine of various socio-political, student and civil society organisations, the protest’s chief demand was the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

“We should not only demand the removal of Gyanesh Kumar, but also upholding the Constitution and freedom of expression. Citizens choose leaders and citizens make the government, but now leaders are choosing citizens,” political scientist and human rights activist G. Haragopal said.

Noting how the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had changed the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s rules, Mr. Haragopal questioned the need for SIR and demanded urgent reforms in the ECI.

Activists, students and families, including children, waved the tricolour and held placards as they formed a human divider along the narrow Indira Park-Dharna Chowk road, while allowing vehicles to pass. The protest tents occupied nearly half the road. Their placards featured slogans, poems, memes and caricatures.

Some of them read: “SIR is equal to Suppressing India’s Rights”; “Gyanesh (adj.): That one guy who steals votes for Modi”; “ECI is Election Chor of India”; and “EVM is Every Vote for Modi”.

While one protester carried a poster of Andhra Pradesh’s revolutionary leader Alluri Sitarama Raju, placards held by two burqa-wearing women read: “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro” and “Gyanesh Miya, Baigan batan nakko! Isteefa kab tak dere”.

Several leaders spoke from the small platform facing the nearly 500-odd people who were seated or dispersed across the area. According to the Students’ Islamic Organisation of India, the BJP and its government were determined to make “every community other than Hindus second-class citizens in the country”.

A leader pointed out that some BJP leaders had even blatantly said “Vote for anyone, but the vote will go to the BJP only.”

Amid rhythmic sloganeering and fluttering flags, the speakers and the gathering raised the ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ (long live the revolution) cry with every demand.