A Bengaluru protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls drew Gen Z participants, senior citizens, students and civil-rights groups to Freedom Park on Thursday, while police barricades and traffic diversions caused congestion on Sheshadri Road and Palace Road.
The event, described by organisers as a ‘Janata Nyayalaya’, was organised by the SIR Virodhi Okkoota and several civil-rights organisations. Participants arrived from districts outside Bengaluru and from other states, carrying posters, placards, the Kannada flag and the national flag. Organisers also arranged food, buttermilk and drinking water at the venue.
The gathering focused on demands for what participants described as free and fair elections. Placards called for the dismissal of Gyanesh Kumar, cancellation of the SIR exercise and the use of ballot papers for elections. Other slogans included “My vote, my right” and appeals to protect democracy. The source report also said that slogans alleging “vote theft” continued until the programme ended.
Actor Prakash Raj, Abhijit Deepke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee addressed the gathering, drawing loud cheers and applause. Writer Devanur Mahadeva arrived late because of ill health, according to the report. The programme also featured images of social reformers and historical figures, including Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Swami Vivekananda, Savitribai Phule, Jyotiba Phule and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Ayesha Ghosh, all-India joint secretary of the Students’ Federation of India, alleged that the Union government was attempting to take away democratic rights and that a plan was under way to “steal” people’s votes. She also alleged that arrests of protesters and activists were intended to weaken the movement. These claims were made during her address and were not independently examined in the source report.
The event required a substantial police and traffic-management response. More than 900 police personnel were deployed around Freedom Park, while barricades were installed and vehicle movement was restricted. Traffic was diverted through alternative routes, but congestion was reported on Sheshadri Road and Palace Road. The arrangements highlight the operational demands that large public gatherings place on central Bengaluru’s road network, particularly when an event occupies a major civic protest space.
The source report said people reached the venue by tempo vehicles, cars, motorcycles, scooters and buses. Some volunteers distributed biscuits and bottled water. Children, students and representatives of different organisations were also present, with some attendees recording videos for social media.
Protesters additionally demanded that Freedom Park be renamed after freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy. No decision on that demand was reported. The source did not provide an estimate of the total number of participants or details of any official response beyond the police deployment and traffic arrangements.
