Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan has announced a nationwide march for Friday, October 23, under the banner of 'People Against SIR.' The coalition, which includes actor Prakash Raj and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, aims to protest the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. Bhushan called the date 'Save Democracy Day' in a post on X, urging citizens to join assemblies in cities like Palampur at 11 a.m. near the Civil Hospital.
The core demands are blunt. The group wants CEC Gyanesh Kumar removed and prosecuted, the deletion of voters from rolls reversed, and the 2023 amendment to the Election Commissioners Act repealed. They also call for a new, impartial Election Commission and a return to paper ballots. Bhushan described the current electoral process as 'hijacked,' alleging that the voter list has been manipulated to serve Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Not all invited leaders can legally participate. Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and AISA chief Neha Bora are bound by peace bonds signed during recent Delhi detentions. Dipke was granted conditional bail on October 17 after being detained in Jhandewalan for allegedly violating a previous bond. His participation in the Friday march is legally precarious, though the invitation stands.
The movement traces its roots to an October 14 meeting of student, youth, and farmer organizations. Bhushan stated that these groups formed a broad alliance to 'pour into the streets' against what he termed an attack on Indian democracy. The campaign slogan, 'Har hath me Tiranga and Har Gali me Jantar Mantar,' signals a shift from passive dissent to organized, street-level mobilization across the country.