Hyderabad, Telangana, 25/10/2026: People stage a protest against the alleged deletion of voters and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, organised by People Against SIR (PA SIR), in Hyderabad on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Photo: RAMAKRISHNA G/The Hindu | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
People Against SIR (PA-SIR), a platform for civil society, students and farmers’ organisations, has decided to step up its agitation against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, giving a call for peaceful protests across the country between November 26 and December 20.
Editorial | United stand: On protests against SIR
The agitation will be coordinated with mass organisations, and by holding a People’s Parliament, people’s referendum, voter list audiots, and dharnas.
The PA-SIR’s working group met on Thursday (November 12, 2026) to plan the implementation of the decisions taken by the platform’s National Coordination Committee to intensify the struggle to “scrap the SIR and reclaim democracy”.
‘Belated half measures by ECI’
The group noted the recent “backtracking measures” taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to roll back or soften some of its “illegal and unconstitutional” conduct of the last 16 months. “However, these belated half measures fail to address the main issue of the mass disenfranchisement and undemocratic nature of the SIR, which only further firms up the resolve to see it scrapped in toto,” the PA-SIR said in a statement issued after the meeting.
The protesting groups will observe Constitution Day on November 26 to assert the ‘Right to Vote, Right to Livelihood’ through massive demonstrations across the country, to reclaim democracy and the right to protest to protect livelihoods. Further public meeting and rallies will be held between November 26 and December 20, with voter list audits to be carried out across the country.
“The ECI is making U-turn after U-turn. The SIR was a conspiracy. The evidence is right in front of us,” actor Prakash Raj, who is part of the anti-SIR platform, told the media.
Transparency Rights activist Anjali Bhardwaj said the platform reiterates that its agitation will continue till the SIR is scrapped and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is removed and prosecuted.
Published - November 12, 2026 07:35 pm IST
Source: The Hindu · The Hindu Bureau
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