Kannada Actor Prakash Raj has thrown his support behind a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, asking people in Bengaluru to turn up in large numbers for a People’s Tribunal at Freedom Park on Thursday.
The protest, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am on October 8. The organisers say the tribunal will give people who claim to have been affected by the SIR exercise an opportunity to speak about their experiences.
Prakash Raj, who has been openly critical of the SIR process, appealed to people to attend the event and stand with those who say they have been affected by the revision of electoral rolls.
In a video message posted on X on Wednesday morning, Prakash Raj said people from across Karnataka who had allegedly faced difficulties during the SIR process would be coming to Bengaluru to share their experiences.
He said the tribunal would bring together those affected by the process, along with civil society groups and youth organisations.
Prakash Raj urged Bengaluru residents not to treat the event as just another political protest. He said the concerns surrounding SIR went beyond individual voter records and touched upon wider questions about democracy and constitutional rights.
He also asked people to come to Freedom Park, listen to those who claim to have suffered because of the process and show their support.
The actor also teased a special appearance at the protest later in the day, describing the person as “a voice with a spine” and leaving his followers guessing about who would attend.
Abhijeet Dipke reaches Bengaluru
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has arrived in Bengaluru for the People’s Tribunal.
The event is expected to include interactions with local residents who allege that their names were wrongly removed from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.
Dipke is scheduled to hold what the organisers have described as a ‘chappal protest’ at Freedom Park on Thursday morning.
The Bengaluru event is part of a wider campaign against the SIR process. Dipke is scheduled to hold another protest in Delhi on October 10, where he plans to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ahead of the Bengaluru event, Dipke shared a message for people who have joined or are planning to join the protests, telling them that they were not standing alone.
“I just want you to know that you are not alone. None of us are. We are all in this together,” he said.
He also spoke about the kind of country he hoped young Indians would be able to live in, where people could protest and speak out without their families fearing for their safety.
“I hope we can build an India where, someday, when our own children take to the streets to raise their voices, we won’t have to fear for their lives the way our parents fear for ours today,” he said.
The Bengaluru protest comes days after the CJP held a demonstration at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2.
The protest called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged discrepancies in the SIR process.
The demonstration drew a large crowd and also saw the participation of personalities from the film and music industries, including Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Vishal Bhardwaj and Vishal Dadlani.
Addressing the gathering in Mumbai, Dipke had warned of “Jantar Mantar 2.0” if Kumar did not step down.