Coalition announces nationwide protests demanding removal of Chief Election Commissioner

NEW DELHI — A newly formed coalition named ‘People Against SIR’ has announced nationwide protest marches scheduled for October 23, demanding the removal and prosecution of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The nationwide demonstrations, titled the ‘People’s March to Reclaim Democracy’, will take place across tehsil, district, state, and national levels. According to the coalition, the marches will proceed without requesting police permission anywhere.

The protests center on demands to scrap the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and to restore the voting rights of citizens whose names have been deleted. Prominent figures within the coalition include actor-activist Prakash Raj, Kisan Sabha leader P Krishnaprasad, and CPI(ML)L leader N Sai Balaji.

The alliance has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have misused the Election Commission, claiming the SIR process has erased the voting rights of 13.41 crore citizens.

Political friction surrounding the poll panel has intensified, with the Congress party stating that nothing can save the Chief Election Commissioner and demanding that the SIR be suspended forthwith. The coalition contends that Gyanesh Kumar has violated his constitutional pledge and must face prosecution, adding that a full-blown constitutional standoff persists unless Parliament moves to impeach him.

The Supreme Court has maintained in related proceedings that it did not uphold the alteration of Form 6, which is utilized for the inclusion of new voters.