Anti-SIR protests: Karnataka home minister Kharge orders review of police action

Protesters, including students and senior citizens, were detained on Monday before they could march in Bengaluru

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Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday ordered a review of the detention of protesters ahead of a march in Bengaluru against the electoral roll Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and to press for chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the process, saying peaceful demonstrations must be protected. He said that dissent must not be treated as a threat to law and order.

The protesters, including students, senior citizens, activists and lawyers, were detained on Monday before they could march to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru. Organisers alleged police seized placards, dragged demonstrators into buses and assaulted protesters, including women and journalists.

Kharge said the handling of the protesters will be reviewed. “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy. It must be respected, protected and never suppressed,” Kharge said in a statement on Tuesday. He said he had instructed the police to ensure peaceful demonstrations are not disrupted. He appealed to protesters to cooperate with the police while keeping authorities informed of their plans. “Our responsibility is not merely to maintain law and order, but to create an environment where every citizen can express dissent freely, peacefully and without fear.”

The march was organised under the banner of the My Vote, My Right Campaign, a coalition of over 40 civil society organisations, opposed to the SIR. The organisers planned to submit a memorandum to Karnataka chief electoral officer V Anbukkumar seeking cancellation of the SIR, restoration of electoral rolls as they were in January 2025 and Kumar’s resignation.

They alleged that the Bengaluru police detained some participants before the march had begun. Some were allegedly pushed and dragged into buses. The organisers said young people were beaten and women’s clothing was pulled.

In a statement, the organisers said four police personnel beat a photojournalist, while three other journalists were manhandled.

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  Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics.

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