“Jantar Mantar 2.0”: Activists call for Oct 2 protest against SIR, demand accountability from Gyanesh Kumar
New Delhi, October 01 (KMS): Activists have called for an October 2 protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing mass voter deletions and demanding accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a group of activists, political leaders and civil society representatives announced a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar tomorrow against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, raising concerns over voter deletions and demanding accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest, described by organisers as “Jantar Mantar 2.0” and being held under the banner “People’s Impeachment of Chief Election ‘Culprit’,” will begin at 11 am.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, AISA president Neha Bora said, “First of all, you will take away our votes. You will take away the most powerful tool among the common citizens to exercise democracy. And when we protest to maintain the sacrosanctity of that vote, you will take away our right to democratic dissent.”
Bora said organisers had already informed the Parliament Street police about the October 2 demonstration, including the expected number of participants, the reason for the protest and details of the organisers.
“We expect the Delhi Police to facilitate the call. We expect the call to be done peacefully,” she said.
The press conference was attended by RJD MP Manoj Jha, Delhi University professor Nandita Narain, lawyer Prashant Bhushan, and AISA Uttar Pradesh President Manish Kumar, among others.
RJD MP Manoj Jha described Gyanesh Kumar as a symbol of what he alleged was wrong with the electoral system, saying, “The question is not of Gyanesh ji, but of Prateek Purush (Symbolic Man). He symbolises everything which is wrong with us, with our electoral democracy.”
“The fundamental change of power is not only due to the protest of political parties. It is due to the selfless protest,” Jha said, urging people to take the message of the campaign across the country.
“This is a matter of the right of the common people, which should be included or excluded. One person was doing it on his whim, micro-management was being done on the basis of booth-level data,” he said, asking “how the potential voters who may not be there should all be excluded?”
