A large protest and public hearing over the electoral-roll revision process are underway at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, with people and activists arriving from across Karnataka to raise concerns about those who say they have been affected by the exercise.
The state-level event, described as a Janata Nyayalaya, has been organised by a coalition of secular parties and public-interest organisations opposing the SIR process. Protest songs were being performed at the venue and coalition leaders were taking the stage, according to Prajavani’s live report published on October 8.
The gathering is focused on complaints linked to the revision of voter lists. The report did not provide details of the number of names affected, the nature of the individual grievances or the official response from election authorities. It said activists from different parts of Karnataka were travelling to Bengaluru and that the auditorium was nearly full.
Three retired Supreme Court judges are scheduled to hear the problems presented by people described as victims of the revision process. The public hearing is intended to provide a platform for affected individuals to place their concerns before the former judges and the organisers.
The event has also drawn writers, actors, economists, political figures and digital commentators. Those listed as participants include writer Devanur Mahadeva, actor Prakash Raj, Cockroach Janata Party leaders Abhijit Deepke, Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and economist Parakala Prabhakar.
The protest places the administration of electoral rolls at the centre of a public dispute in Karnataka. Electoral-roll revisions can affect whether residents are able to find their names on voter lists and participate in elections, making the accuracy of the process an important governance issue. However, the material available in the report does not establish how many voters have been affected or whether any specific deletions were confirmed by election officials.
The proceedings at Freedom Park are expected to continue with addresses by coalition leaders and testimony from people who say they have faced difficulties under the revision process. The report did not mention any immediate decision by election authorities or any formal response from the Election Commission.
