‘Scrap sir, Gyanesh Kumar must resign’: Protesters take to Hyderabad streets, seek accountability for voter wipeout

A rally was held in Hyderabad on Saturday demanding cancellation of Special Intensive Review (SIR) and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

Chants of “Gyanesh Kumar Istifa Do” (Gyanesh Kumar should resign) and “SIR Nu Raddhu Cheyali” (Scrap SIR) echoed through the streets of Hyderabad on Saturday, October 10, as around 120 protesters took part in a two-kilometre rally demanding the abolition of Special Election Committee for Intensive Review (SIR) of Gyanesh Kumar.

The rally started at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram and moved towards Ashok Nagar, with protesters stopping at places frequented by students to highlight what they described as growing concerns about voter suppression. As the demonstration progressed, more people joined the march, raising slogans and singing songs of resistance.

The central question for the protesters was whether the exercise aimed at updating the electoral rolls had instead resulted in the exclusion of eligible voters. “The whole purpose of SIR is to ensure that the number of voters is increased and people who have been left out are added to the electoral rolls. However, since the Bihar elections and now in Telangana too, we have seen that SIR has become a tool to wipe out voters,” said student Neeraj.

Ankit, an IT employee who attended the rally, questioned the government’s rationale that the SIR would help identify illegal immigrants who had allegedly obtained voter IDs. “If that is the case, we request the government to provide us with the data on how many such names of voters have been deleted and how many genuine Indian citizens have been removed from the electoral rolls,” he said.

The first stop was near Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, where protesters raised slogans and sang resistance songs. The march then proceeded to the Municipal Central Library in Chikkadpally, where the protesters continued their demonstration. Former Telangana Education Commission chairman Akunuri Murali joined the rally there and expressed concern over the impact of widespread voter suppression. “The massive erasure of votes is a threat to democracy,” he said.

For Loraine, a student, the protest was also a demand for greater transparency and accountability from those in power. “It’s time we demand transparency from the government. They should understand that they can’t get away with anything now. If you don’t take responsibility, people will take to the streets and ask you to take responsibility,” she said.

The rally ended in Ashok Nagar and the organizers vowed to continue the protests across Hyderabad.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 21:14 IST