Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Marches called across Delhi, Bengaluru, other cities; suspense over Dipke's participation

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: A march is scheduled today in Delhi, organised by ‘People Against SIR’, to "restore democracy", demand the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and press for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Key Events

• 10 Mins agoCJP's Ranka, Das likely to get fresh summons today
• 26 Mins agoKharge demands removal of CEC, repeal of immunity law
• 29 Mins agoFarmers' body to join protest today
• 34 Mins agoWhat is People Against SIR, the group organising the march?
• 1 Hr 7 Mins ago‘Har gali mein Jantar Mantar’ march today

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Students and citizens raise slogans as they conduct a march from the Press Club of India under the banner ‘Reclaim Jantar Mantar’, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi.

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders have been invited to join a march on Friday, organised by People Against SIR – a week-old alliance of students, farmers and civil society groups — from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi's Connaught Place to the Election Commission’s office near Patel Chowk. The march has been called to "restore democracy", demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and press for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls....Read More

Among the prominent figures invited include CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, actor Prakash Raj, student leaders Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and activist Tushar Gandhi.

‘Har Gali mein Jantar Mantar’

"The People's March to Reclaim Democracy will not request police permission anywhere," the platform had said in a statement on October 18.

It also warned the police, paramilitary personnel and prison authorities against using force on peaceful protesters.

The platform has planned a “No SIR” campaign under the slogan “Har Gali Jantar Mantar, Har Gaon Jantar Mantar, Mera Ghar Jantar Mantar”.

The People Against SIR group was formed on October 14 at Surjeet Bhavan in New Delhi by groups representing farmers, workers, women, students, Adivasis, Dalits and minorities.

The platform has alleged that the SIR exercise is illegal and demanded that the voter lists be reset to their pre-2024 version and updated through social audits as laid down in the Election Commission Manual and CAG guidelines.

CJP's Ranka, Das likely to get fresh summons today

Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will be issued fresh notice to join the police probe in the two cases against them after they failed to appear earlier, officials aware of the matter told HT.

A senior police officer said that the Delhi Police crime branch had issued a notice to Das, Ranka, and CJP member Ajinkya Shinde to join the probe on Thursday.

Why CEC Gyanesh Kumar is under fire

CEC Kumar is at the centre of a controversy involving the Election Commission following an investigative report by The Indian Express that claimed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures linked to the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has rejected these allegations, saying that major decisions, including the SIR of electoral rolls, had been taken unanimously by the full commission.

RTI reveals Cabinet Secretariat sent election commissioners’ letters to CEC

The Cabinet Secretariat forwarded the letters written to the Cabinet Secretary by election commissioners Sukhbir Sandhu and Vivek Joshi about the alleged misconduct of senior deputy election commissioner (DEC) Maneesh Garg to the office of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, in addition to sending them to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application.

A document released in response to the application shows that on August 3, the secretariat proposed seeking CEC Kumar's opinion on the letters.

Another, on August 4, noted that the letters from the commissioners were in their individual capacity and not a formal communication from the Election Commission of India.

The only response to the two commissioners was an acknowledgement that their letters had been received. The acknowledgements dated August 5 were copied to the secretary, department of personnel and training (DoPT), the establishment officer in DoPT, and the principal private secretary to the chief election commissioner.

Follow all the updates here:

Oct 23, 2026, 09:32:46 IST

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will be issued a fresh notice to join the police probe in the two cases against them after they failed to appear earlier, officials aware of the matter told HT.

A senior police officer said that the Delhi Police crime branch had issued a notice to Das, Ranka, and CJP member Ajinkya Shinde to join the probe on Thursday. Read more here.

Oct 23, 2026, 09:16:51 IST

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as demanded the scrapping of the 2023 law granting immunity to election commissioners, accusing the Centre of undermining the poll body's independence and seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he asked, "Are you above the Constitution?" and alleged that the government was shielding election commissioners from accountability.

"Repeal the law you brought in to grant them immunity," he said, referring to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides protection against civil and criminal proceedings for acts done or words spoken by election commissioners in the discharge of their official duties, subject to the provisions of the Act.

(Inputs from PTI)

Oct 23, 2026, 09:13:55 IST

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the People Against SIR platform have called for protests across the country on Friday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The protests will be held at district and tehsil headquarters, state capitals and in Delhi, where People Against SIR has called for a march to the Election Commission's office, according to the organisers.

The SKM, which had spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation against three central farm laws, said its member organisations would submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu through district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates, demanding the scrapping of the SIR exercise and the restoration of voting rights to 13.41 crore citizens allegedly deleted from electoral rolls.

Oct 23, 2026, 09:09:21 IST

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The People Against SIR group was formed on October 14 at Surjeet Bhavan in New Delhi by groups representing farmers, workers, women, students, Adivasis, Dalits and minorities.

The platform has alleged that the SIR exercise is illegal and demanded the voter lists be reset to their pre-2024 version and updated through social audits as laid down in the Election Commission Manual and CAG guidelines.

Oct 23, 2026, 08:36:16 IST

Anti-CEC protests LIVE: A march is scheduled today, organised by People Against SIR, a week-old alliance of students, farmers and civil society groups in the national capital from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Connaught Place to the Election Commission’s office near Patel Chowk, to "restore democracy", demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and press for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Among the prominent figures invited include Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, actor Prakash Raj, student leaders Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and activist Tushar Gandhi.

Home India news Anti-CEC protests LIVE: ‘Har gali mein Jantar Mantar’ march scheduled today; Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora invited