‘People Against SIR’ stage protest in Shivamogga

Alleging that democracy is being undermined in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, representatives of progressive organisations took out a march in Shivamogga on Friday.

Members of several organisations, under the banner of ‘People Against SIR’, marched from Gopi Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, raising slogans against the Union government and the Election Commission of India along the way.

The protesters alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was acting as a puppet of the Centre. They claimed that the Election Commission, acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, had helped the ruling party in previous elections.

They said that in the name of the SIR, the Commission had removed more than 13 crore names from the electoral rolls, and that Mr. Kumar had ignored the objections raised by his two colleagues. Hundreds of people, particularly youth, had taken to the streets in protest, they said, adding that the Union government was curbing people’s right to protest by registering cases and arresting demonstrators.

In a memorandum addressed to the President, the protesters urged her to intervene to restore democracy.

Advocate K.P. Sripal, activist K.L. Ashok, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti convener M. Gurumurthy and others took part in the protest.