Protesters demand SIR rollback, slam police action

Hyderabad: A protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was held in the city on Saturday evening, with protesters opposing the exercise and the alleged illegal detentions of those travelling to New Delhi to participate in a demonstration at Jantar Mantar.Organised by the Disha Students Organisation, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the rally, comprising around 100 people, passed through residential lanes as local residents watched. Protesters raised slogans such as “scrap SIR”, “arrest CEC Gyanesh Kumar”, “cancel all elections post-SIR” and “reconduct elections”.The protest was also attended by retired IAS officer and former Telangana education commission chairperson Akunuri Murali, rights activist Padmaja Sharma and economist Rathan Roy. Kriti, a resident of Himayathnagar, questioned the changes to Form 6 and the govt’s handling of the exercise. “The SIR process and analysis have come up, and the changes in Form 6 are not right. The govt has an agenda and is diverting attention from major issues such as unemployment and the NEET controversy,” she said.An IT employee who attended the rally said the protest offered people an opportunity to raise their concerns. K Suresh, a student, questioned the rationale behind the exercise. “If the SIR is meant only to remove illegal immigrants, the govt should clarify how many of the 13 crore voters are illegal immigrants. Instead, voter names have been deleted over the past year,” he said.Protestors also highlighted that the issue went beyond voting rights. “Disenfranchisement is not just about taking away the right to vote, but also the right to life and the right to exist,” said Loraine from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU). Her friend Nishtha recounted how a friend whose name had been deleted from the voter list had been distressed.Detainees returnEarlier in the day, the four CJP members detained at Bhopal railway station on the night of Oct 8 reached Warangal in the early hours of Saturday. Madhya Pradesh police escorted them to Warangal. “We were travelling to Delhi with a purpose, not for entertainment, but to raise our voices through peaceful democratic protest. Detaining us and other CJP supporters raises serious concerns about our democratic rights. We demand to know under what law we were detained, why we were denied clear reasons for our detention and contact with our families, and who will be held accountable,” said Rajesh Korapaka, one of the four detainees. Three other CJP volunteers from Andhra Pradesh, who were detained in Gwalior, were released and escorted back to Vijayawada by the police.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Hyderabad | Silver Rate in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Petrol Price in Hyderabad | Diesel Price in Hyderabad | CNG Price in Hyderabad | LPG Price in HyderabadStay updated with the latest Hyderabad news. Download the TOI App.