Karnataka CM Shivakumar, Congress legislators to join Delhi protest against SIR on October 12

File photo of Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar | Photo credit: The Hindu

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and ruling Congress legislators from Karnataka will be in New Delhi on Monday (October 12, 2026) to attend a protest by the All India Congress Committee demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and an intensive exercise by the Election Commission of India (ReECI) SIR.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday (October 11, 2026), Mr Shivakumar said the Congress would stage its own protest against the SIR exercise and demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

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Asked whether the Congress was supporting the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, he said the party was taking its own course of action while some allies of the INDIA bloc were participating in the second protest.

“We are holding our protest tomorrow. I said we don’t want to go to Delhi in large numbers but our legislators will be there. I am also going to Delhi to protect every voter,” he said.

“You cannot delete voters from electoral rolls. How can you delete the names of voters in Karnataka? This is not democracy. We have to protect the voting rights of Dalits, minorities and backward class people,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar has often participated in protests organized by the Congress in Delhi under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi against the NDA government and the Chief Election Commissioner.

On 1 October 2026, the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues staged a dharna at the premises of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru, demanding registration of a criminal case and investigation into the alleged conspiracy to erase the names of eligible voters using Form 7 applications.

Criticizing the Center for shutting down the Internet in Delhi during the October 10 protest, Mr. Shivakumar said the Prime Minister should explain whether the country is witnessing democracy or emergency.

“Everyone has the right to protest. Detaining people on flights and elected representatives is an insult to the nation and democracy,” he said.

India is known worldwide for its democratic traditions, he said, adding that such incidents would tarnish the country’s reputation. The Center should allow the protesters to meet the Chief Election Commissioner, he said, stressing that criticism is a part of public life.

Asked about an open letter by 124 former IAS, IFS and other civil service officers defending the Election Commission and the SIR exercise, saying allegations of vote manipulation should be backed by credible evidence, Mr. Shivakumar said, “The officers have done their duty. We congratulate them. But our protest represents the voice of the country, not the voice of any political party.”

Published – October 11, 2026 12:12 PM IST