A large protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls disrupted traffic around Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday, with more than 900 police personnel deployed and restrictions imposed on surrounding roads.
The event, described by organisers as a ‘Janata Nyayalaya’, was organised by the SIR Virodhi Okkoota and several civil rights groups at Freedom Park. Participants from Bengaluru, other districts and outside Karnataka joined the programme, carrying posters, placards and flags. Senior citizens, children, students and representatives of different organisations were also present.
Protesters raised slogans including “Dismiss Gyanesh Kumar”, “Cancel SIR”, “Conduct elections through ballot papers” and “My vote, my right”. Other placards alleged threats to democracy and demanded free and fair elections. The slogans and speeches focused on claims that the electoral revision process could affect voting rights. These claims were made by protesters and speakers at the event.
Actor Prakash Raj, activist Abhijit Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee were among those who appeared on the stage. Writer Devanur Mahadeva, who was reportedly unwell, arrived later. Ayesha Ghosh, national joint secretary of the Students’ Federation of India, alleged that the Union government was attempting to take away democratic rights and that authorities were trying to weaken protests by detaining activists. Her remarks were made at the gathering and reflected the organisers’ position.
The event also included repeated slogans of “vote theft”. Protesters demanded that Freedom Park be named after freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy. Images of figures including Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Swami Vivekananda, Savitribai Phule, Jyotiba Phule, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Che Guevara were displayed during the programme.
The protest had a direct effect on movement through central Bengaluru. Police placed barricades around Freedom Park, restricted vehicle movement and arranged alternative routes. Traffic congestion was reported on Sheshadri Road and Palace Road. Participants reached the venue by tempo, car, motorcycle, scooter and bus, while organisers arranged lemon rice, buttermilk and drinking water. Some supporters also distributed biscuits and bottled water.
The police deployment and traffic restrictions reflected the operational challenge of managing a large political gathering in a dense central-city location. Freedom Park is a designated protest venue, but access roads around it also connect important government, commercial and transport corridors. The report did not provide details on the duration of the diversions or the number of vehicles affected. Police and civic authorities had not announced further traffic measures in the supplied material.
