Students, farmers, civil society groups continue to protest against SIR, CEC

Around 500 protesters from among students, youth, women, farmers and civil society organizations under the banner of ‘People Against SIR’ marched through central Delhi on Friday (23 October 2026) demanding cancellation of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (Gyaneshmar. CEC) The march was part of a series of protests held across the country against the exercise.

Delhi Police said around 20 protesters were detained and later released, although protesters claimed around 50 were detained. The police have registered at least one FIR against the protesters for violating the ban under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Carrying the national flag, banners and placards, the protesters gathered near the Gol Dak Khana roundabout at the junction of Kali Bari Marg and Bhai Vir Singh Marg before attempting to march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters. Participants gathered in small groups around the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara before the protest at 1 p.m.

Political activist Yogendra Yadav, Communist Party of India President Annie Raja and All India Kisan Sabha Vice President Inderjeet Singh joined the march. Representatives of student organisations, including All India Students’ Association, All India Students’ Federation, Students’ Federation of India, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan and All India Democratic Students’ Organisation, also participated.

Addressing the protesters, Mr Yadav said the movement would continue despite curbs on demonstrations, including designating Jantar Mantar as a protest site.

“The protest will continue. If you shut down one Jantar Mantar, hundreds more will come. If you try to silence one person, people will not remain silent. People and organizations may change, but the movement will continue. Until Gyanesh Kumar resigns, we will continue to protest,” he said.

Mr. Singh said the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) decided to support the movement after protesters, especially women, were manhandled during earlier demonstrations in Delhi.

Inderjit Singh along with members of various organizations stage a protest in New Delhi on October 23, 2026 demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

“We are angry at what happened to our youth, especially women protesters who were pushed to the ground and their clothes torn. Enough is enough. We will continue to support this movement until SIR is scrapped, the right to vote is protected and the right to protest at Jantar Mantar is restored,” he said.

Mr. Singh opposed the granting of police powers through special executive magistrates in proceedings against the protesters, arguing that the arrangement concentrated too much power in the hands of the police.

“Now there are judges, there are lawyers, the court itself is theirs, it is natural that we will be declared criminals,” he said.

Accusing the Center of using the SIR exercise to undermine constitutional guarantees, Ms. Raja said the protests would continue until the CEC resigned.

“SIR is a tool that the Narendra Modi government is using to undermine the constitution. The people of this country will not allow this and that is why we continue to raise our voice. We came very close to the CEC office today. We will also reach there soon and ask him to leave,” she said.

“From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from the Northeast to Gujarat, people are organizing their own Jantar Mantars. Even if the authorities curtail one place of protest, people will find ways to express their voice,” she said.

Among those who joined the demonstration was Subhas Mishra, an IT professional from Bengaluru who had come with his wife. He said citizens need to participate in public demonstrations rather than restricting political discussions to private spaces.

“I am here to support Prashant Bhushan, Abhijeet Dipke and everyone who believes in democracy. Discussions cannot remain confined to lounges and WhatsApp groups. People have to come out of their homes. Nothing will change if we only talk among ourselves,” he said.

“The manner in which Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were kept in jail for a week was dictatorial. It is time for people to take to the streets and exercise their democratic right to protest,” he added.

Barricades stop the march

The protesters started marching towards the ECI but were stopped by several barricades and security personnel on Ashoka Road, about 500 meters before the march. They briefly sat on the road when the police warned them of the ban imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS.

Security personnel detain members of various organizations during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on October 23, 2026. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

The police then pushed the protesters back to the main road, blowing their whistles and repeatedly warning them to be detained for trespassing. As the slogans continued, several protesters were taken away in two detention vehicles near the Gol Dak Khana roundabout.

A girl tries to stop a bus full of detained members of various organizations who are staging a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in New Delhi on October 23, 2026. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Separately, SKM said farmers staged demonstrations at district and tehsil headquarters across the country demanding that the SIR be scrapped and Mr. Kumar sacked and prosecuted. The farmers’ delegations submitted memoranda addressed to President Droupadi Murma through District and Sub-Divisional Magistrates.

“In many places, the police tried to stop the protests. Leaders were kept under house arrest from early morning, protesters were detained on the way and bans were imposed in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and (and) Haryana, especially (in) BJP-ruled states,” the organization said in a statement. The SKM also demanded that the Delhi Police must withdraw its order that removed Jantar Mantar as a protest venue.

The October 23 mobilization followed the formation of People Against SIR last week following an emergency consultation in Delhi attended by representatives of more than 200 organisations. The platform brings together 145 civil society groups, farmers’ unions, workers’ organizations and women’s and youth groups in 18 states.

Published – 23 Oct 2026 22:12 IST