Economist Parakala Prabhakar joins nationwide protest against electoral roll revision

NEW DELHI — Economist Parakala Prabhakar is set to join Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and actor-activist Prakash Raj for a nationwide protest on October 23, 2026, targeting the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The demonstration is being organized by the People Against SIR alliance, which was formed on October 14, 2026. The coalition is pressing for the complete scrapping of the electoral roll revision exercise and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to the People Against SIR alliance, the revision process has resulted in the large-scale deletion of eligible voters, particularly impacting marginalized and vulnerable communities, with an estimated 13 crore voters excluded so far.

Ahead of the demonstrations, Prabhakar posted on social media calling for public mobilization. “Har gali mein Jantar Mantar! Friday, October 23, 2026. People’s march to restore democracy. Let’s rise to the challenge,” he tweeted.

The planned protests come amid heightened political friction in central Delhi, where street demonstrations have escalated following reports that the Chief Election Commissioner allegedly overrode instances of dissent by fellow election commissioners. The People Against SIR alliance has appealed to political parties in the INDIA bloc to participate in the upcoming mobilization, though formal confirmation from the bloc remains pending.

Prabhakar is expected to share the platform with several prominent public figures, including senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, All India Students Association president Neha Bora, and author Tushar Gandhi.

Logistical hurdles also face the organizers in the national capital. According to Delhi Police, Jantar Mantar has been denotified as a designated protest site, rendering the location off-limits for demonstrations.

The upcoming protest follows an earlier demonstration held on October 8, 2026, at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, where Prabhakar appeared alongside Dipke, Raj, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. Prabhakar, an economist and author of “The Crooked Timber of New India”—a critique of demonetization, rising unemployment, and democratic institutions—previously served as a communications adviser to the Andhra Pradesh government under then-Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu from 2014 until his resignation in April 2018.