Civil Society Groups to Hold People’s Tribunal in Bengaluru Over Voter Roll Deletions

Civil society groups from across Karnataka are set to convene a 'People’s Tribunal' in Bengaluru on October 8 to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demonstration focuses on the contested deletion of names under the Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others (ASDDO) categories.

The participating organisations are demanding that all voter deletions carried out during the SIR process be completely scrapped. They are calling for authorities to retain the pre-SIR electoral rolls instead, citing severe flaws in the revision drive.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka are scheduled to take part in the event. Actor Prakash Raj and delegates from various civil society groups across the state are also expected to attend and address the gathering.

In addition to challenging the roll revisions, the groups will demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities linked to the exercise.

Organisers stated that the SIR process has deprived lakhs of citizens of their fundamental right to vote, with the disenfranchisement hitting oppressed and minority communities particularly hard.

During the tribunal in Bengaluru, groups plan to present public evidence detailing the background of the SIR process and outlining resulting injustices. The presentations will include accounts of registered voters who faced significant difficulties handling documentation demands during hearings on revision notices.