Bengaluru, Oct 16 The INDIA bloc in Karnataka will hold a protest against the SIR exercise and demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar here on November 5, KPCC president B K Hariprasad said on Friday.
The decision was taken at a state-level meeting of alliance partners chaired by Hariprasad at the Legislators’ Home to discuss the SIR process, alleged deletion of eligible voters’ names, discrepancies in electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission.
“The INDIA bloc’s clear stand is that the SIR process must be scrapped entirely, the names of eligible voters must be restored, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must resign,” Hariprasad said, alleging that a large number of voters names had been removed from electoral rolls across the country.
The alliance has decided to launch a coordinated campaign under the slogan ‘Save the Vote, Save the Country’ to protect the Constitution, democracy and every citizen’s right to vote.
Hariprasad said the right to vote was the foundation of democracy and that the exclusion of genuine and eligible voters from electoral rolls could not be accepted under any circumstances.
Accusing the union government of pursuing an anti-democratic and fascist approach, he said that the Election Commission, which is expected to function as an independent constitutional body, was acting in favour of a particular political party.
He called on democratic forces to set aside their political differences and unite against any attempt to deprive citizens of their voting rights.
The meeting decided to constitute a coordination committee comprising representatives of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Samajwadi Party and Forward Bloc to coordinate the campaign across Karnataka and prepare an action plan extending from Bengaluru to district and taluk levels.
The alliance partners will also participate in a protest at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1. As a follow-up, a major demonstration will be held in Bengaluru on November 5, followed by protests at district and taluk levels, according to the release.
Hariprasad said holding protests was a democratic right of every citizen and that restrictions could not be used to silence people’s voices.
“The struggle to protect the Constitution and voting rights will not be stopped under any circumstances,” he said, adding that the campaign was not merely a political struggle but a movement to safeguard democracy and citizens’ constitutional rights.
Alliance leaders discussed the impact of the SIR process, alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls and strategies for the next phase of the campaign. They stressed the need to bring farmers, workers, women, students, youth and progressive organisations together to turn the campaign into a mass movement.
The meeting formally resolved to constitute the state coordination committee, ensure large-scale participation from Karnataka in the November 1 protest in New Delhi, and organise the November 5 protest against SIR.
AICC secretary Gopinath Palaniappan, CPI(M) state secretary K Prakash, CPI state secretary Sathi Sunderesh and Samajwadi Party state president Manjappa Yadav attended the meeting, along with representatives of CPI(ML) Liberation, the Forward Bloc and other INDIA bloc constituents.
(PTI News)
