Around 500 protesters from students, youth, women, farmers, and civil society organisations, under the banner of ‘People Against SIR’ marched through Central Delhi on Friday (October 23, 2026), demanding the rollback of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The march was part of a series of protests held across the country against the exercise.
Political activist Yogendra Yadav, Communist Party of India leader Annie Raja, and All India Kisan Sabha vice-president Inderjeet Singh joined the march. Representatives of student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association, All India Students’ Federation, Students’ Federation of India, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan and All India Democratic Students’ Organisation, also participated. Addressing protesters, Mr. “The protest will continue. If you shut down one Jantar Mantar, hundreds more will emerge. If you try to silence one person, people will not remain quiet. People and organisations may change, but the movement will go on. Mr. “The SIR is a tool being used by the Narendra Modi government to undermine the Constitution. The people of this country will not allow that to happen, which is why we continue to raise our voices. Kumar be sacked and prosecuted. Farmer delegations submitted memoranda addressed to President Droupadi Murmu through District Magistrates and Sub-Divisional Magistrates.
The Delhi Police said around 20 protesters were detained and later released, even as protesters claimed that around 50 were rounded up. Police registered at least one FIR against protesters for violating prohibitory orders under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Yadav said the movement would continue despite restrictions on demonstrations, including the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. Until Gyanesh Kumar resigns, we will continue to protest,” he said. Singh said the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) decided to support the movement after the protesters, particularly women, were manhandled during earlier demonstrations in Delhi. Soon we will also reach there and ask him to get out,” she said. Separately, the SKM said farmers held demonstrations at district and tehsil headquarters across the country, demanding that the SIR be scrapped and Mr.
We have come very close to the CEC’s office today.
“We are angry about what has happened to our young people, particularly the women protesters, who were pushed to the ground and had their clothes torn. Enough is enough.
We will continue to support this movement until the SIR is scrapped, the right to vote is protected, and the right to protest at Jantar Mantar is restored,” he said.
