തെലങ്കാനയിലെ വോട്ടർ പട്ടികയിലെ ക്രമക്കേടുകൾക്കെതിരെ ഹൈദരാബാദിൽ നൂറുകണക്കിനാളുകൾ മനുഷ്യച്ചങ്ങല തീർത്തു. വോട്ടർമാരെ ഒഴിവാക്കുന്ന നടപടികൾ അവസാനിപ്പിക്കണമെന്നും മുഖ്യ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് കമ്മീഷണറെ നീക്കണമെന്നും പ്രതിഷേധക്കാർ ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടു. വോട്ടർ പട്ടികയിലെ തിരുത്തലുകൾ ലക്ഷക്കണക്കിന് ആളുകളെ വോട്ടവകാശത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പുറന്തള്ളുമെന്ന് ഇവർ ആരോപിക്കുന്നു.
Protesters demand scrapping of electoral roll revision, restoration of deleted voters and removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar; allege exercise could disenfranchise nearly half of Telangana's electorate
Hundreds of people formed a human chain at Hyderabad's Tank Bund along Hussain Sagar Lake on Saturday evening, demanding the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the repeal of the CEC Act, 2023. They also demanded the immediate restoration of all deleted voters, claiming that the SIR exercise could disenfranchise nearly half of Telangana's electorate.
"We refuse to be silenced by the repressive Modi Government which stands exposed," one protester said.
Waving the Tricolour and raising slogans against mass disenfranchisement, participants accused Kumar of acting as an "agent of the BJP Govt". They said the two other Election Commissioners had raised 14 formal objections over the past year, which were disregarded. With 13.4 crore voters reportedly deleted from electoral rolls across India, one protester said, the SIR was an exercise in mass deletion rather than voter verification.
The protest was co-organised by civil society, human rights, farmers', Dalit, youth and student organisations, and drew students, activists, academics, professionals and workers.
Participants questioned the rationale for the SIR, alleging it could lead to the deletion of nearly half the voters in Telangana. They cited 73 lakh deletions and notices issued to 93 lakh people as "doubtful" voters, calling this the highest proportion in the country. They described the exercise as a case of the government choosing voters rather than voters choosing the government.
The protesters said young people across India were leading a peaceful resistance against the SIR, with Telangana part of the movement. Condemning police violence against protesters, particularly in Delhi, they asserted that peaceful protest was an inalienable constitutional right.
Hyderabad has seen several protests against the SIR in October, including a public hearing where people affected by the exercise deposed before a panel. Participants said the process had traumatised lakhs of citizens, particularly women, the working poor, Muslims and transgender persons, while adding to the burden on Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
They also criticised the CEC Act, 2023, saying it undermined fairness in the appointment of Election Commissioners and granted them blanket immunity.
Organisers distributed leaflets on alleged large-scale voter deletions in Hyderabad and Telangana and resolved to intensify the campaign across the state until the SIR was scrapped.
SIR is currently underway in Telangana, with the final rolls to be published on November 9.