Delhi: Protesters Detained During March To ECI Headquarters Against SIR

The march was organised to protest against the alleged removal of voters from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has rejected the allegations, maintaining that major decisions, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, were taken unanimously by the full commission.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Protesters marched against alleged voter deletions in central Delhi.
• CEC Kumar faces scrutiny over internal ECI objections.

Several protesters were detained in central Delhi during a march against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters were heading towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters to demonstrate against the alleged deletion of voters.

VIDEO | Delhi: Several protesters detained during a march against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in central Delhi. The protesters were heading towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters to protest against the alleged deletion of voters. https://t.co/XrcaoYnGpQ

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 23, 2026

Protest Against Alleged Voter Deletions

The march was organised to protest against the alleged removal of voters from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise. Several protesters were detained by authorities during the demonstration, according to the video accompanying the report.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was invited to join a march organised by People Against SIR on Friday. The week-old alliance of students, farmers and civil society groups planned to march from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi’s Connaught Place to the Election Commission’s office near Patel Chowk.

The march aimed to “restore democracy”, demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and call for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

‘Har Gali Mein Jantar Mantar’

In a statement issued on October 18, People Against SIR said, “The People's March to Reclaim Democracy will not request police permission anywhere.”

The platform also cautioned the police, paramilitary personnel and prison authorities against using force on peaceful protesters.

As part of its planned “No SIR” campaign, the alliance has adopted the slogan “Har Gali Jantar Mantar, Har Gaon Jantar Mantar, Mera Ghar Jantar Mantar”.

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

The platform has alleged that the SIR exercise is illegal. It has demanded that electoral rolls be restored to their pre-2024 version and subsequently updated through social audits, as prescribed in the Election Commission Manual and CAG guidelines.

Why Is CEC Gyanesh Kumar Facing Criticism?

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has come under scrutiny amid a controversy surrounding the Election Commission.

An investigative report by The Indian Express claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has rejected the allegations, maintaining that major decisions, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, were taken unanimously by the full commission.