Anti-SIR Showdown Today: Nirmala Sitharaman’s Husband Among Key Figures Expected at Protest

The battle over alleged electoral irregularities is set to enter a fresh phase on Friday, with the People Against SIR alliance calling for nationwide protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Economist and political commentator Parakala Prabhakar, husband of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and actor-activist Prakash Raj are among the prominent figures expected to participate in the mobilisation. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and student activists are also expected to join the campaign. Organisers have appealed to political parties in the INDIA bloc to participate, although the bloc's involvement in Friday's protests has not been confirmed.

In Delhi, protesters are scheduled to assemble near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib at 1 pm on October 23 and march towards the Election Commission of India. Organisers have said that if stopped by police, participants will hold a “People's Parliament” to press for electoral reforms before concluding the demonstration with the national anthem.

The campaign, being held under the slogan “Har haath mein Tiranga, har gali mein Jantar Mantar”, calls for demonstrations at district and tehsil headquarters, state capitals and localities across the country.

The alliance is demanding that the SIR exercise be scrapped, eligible voters allegedly excluded from electoral rolls be restored, and Kumar be removed and prosecuted. It has also called for changes to the Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and a more transparent process for appointing election commissioners.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc is pursuing a parallel political campaign over the “vote chori” allegations. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was scheduled to chair an online meeting of opposition leaders on Thursday to discuss the protest strategy, press for Kumar's resignation and review preparations for the bloc's November 1 rally in Delhi.

The opposition's campaign intensified after INDIA bloc leaders and civil society representatives marched towards the Supreme Court on October 12 and filed a joint petition challenging the SIR exercise. The alliance subsequently vowed to continue its agitation.

Friday's mobilisation will test the campaign's ability to bring together civil society groups, student organisations, farmers and opposition supporters across the country. The central demands remain the same: accountability in the electoral process and protection of eligible citizens' voting rights.