‘Zero accountability from EC’: Dhruv Rathee, Prakash Raj join CJP protest against Gyanesh Kumar

On Thursday, renowned YouTube personality Dhruv Rathee and actor-activist Prakash Raj joined the founder of the Centre for Justice and Peace (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, at a protest in Bengaluru against Election Commission Chief Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration took place at Freedom Park, where the trio demanded the immediate resignation of Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Service of Information (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Dhruv Rathee, speaking to the gathered protesters, emphasized, "I have not come here for regime change, and targeting the CEC is not my intention. However, there is zero transparency, zero accountability from the Election Commission." Prakash Raj echoed similar sentiments, calling for the cancellation of the SIR exercise, arguing that it was not merely about eliminating votes but an assault on the dignity and rights of citizens.

The protest quickly escalated into a charged atmosphere, with protesters relentlessly shouting slogans demanding the revocation of the SIR exercise and urging Gyanesh Kumar to step down from his position. The event, dubbed a "people's tribunal" for the victims of SIR in Karnataka, attracted a diverse crowd of agitators from various backgrounds, including women and students.

Amidst the fervor, protesters displayed posters bearing slogans such as "Error 404 - Name Not Found" and "It's done bro, resign sir." They also raised cries like "Dictatorship will not be tolerated" and "Vote theft, Gyanesh Kumar Gaddi leave your chair." Posters featuring iconic freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose were interspersed among the other visual aids.