Key Takeaways

• INDIA bloc parties plan a joint protest outside the Delhi EC office on October 7.
• Activists accuse the CEC of using SIR to delete voters and facilitate electoral fraud.
• Allegations of sexual harassment of female journalists by police complicate the protests.
• Political leaders from Mumbai to Delhi demand the immediate repeal of the SIR process.

The INDIA bloc and various activist groups are mobilizing across India to protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, citing alleged misuse of electoral processes. Opposition parties have accused the CEC of employing fraudulent means to favor the BJP, demanding his immediate resignation.

This outrage stems from the ongoing Systematic Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which critics claim has led to the deletion of millions of voters. As protests intensify from Delhi to Mumbai, the political climate has further deteriorated with allegations of police misconduct against journalists covering the demonstrations.

The Delhi units of INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), RJD, NCP, and RSP, have decided to hold a joint protest outside the Delhi Election Commission office on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. This decision was taken during a meeting where representatives collectively opposed what they termed a "flawed" revision process. Anil Bhardwaj, Delhi Congress general secretary, emphasized that the voter list is the foundation of democracy. He stated that the alliance would not accept any process that removes voters' names or impacts their rights. The group is demanding the immediate repeal of the SIR exercise.

Simultaneously, activists and public figures are voicing severe criticism. AISA activists protested for a third consecutive day, marching from Andhra Bhawan Circle toward Jantar Mantar. The protest faced heavy police barricading, leading to brief clashes where security personnel attempted to prevent protesters from crossing barriers. Purported visuals showed AISA national president Neha Bora attempting to climb a barricade while being stopped by officials.

Actor and activist Prakash Raj condemned the SIR process in Dharwad, describing it as a tool of "electoral genocide." He stated that 13 crore voters have been deleted, effectively declaring them non-citizens. Raj argued that the BJP is using the Election Commission of India as a mechanism to stay in power indefinitely. He called for a nationwide mobilization to scrap the exercise and restore all voters' names. Similarly, Prakash Raj remarked that while the Ganesha visarjan is over, the visarjan of CEC Gyanesh Kumar remains pending, highlighting the public's demand for accountability.