Student Organisation Members Detained During Anti-SIR Protest in Bengaluru, Karnataka Constable Suspended in Kalaburagi
Several members of student organisations were detained in Bengaluru on Saturday while attempting to march towards the Election Commission office to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters demanded the termination of the SIR process and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a separate incident in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, a police constable was suspended over allegations that he consumed alcohol on the roof of a mosque in Harsuru village. The police department initiated a preliminary inquiry after a video of the alleged incident surfaced on social media.
Members of several student organisations gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Saturday to march towards the Election Commission office and register their opposition to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The protesters raised slogans demanding an end to the SIR process and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to the organisers, the demonstration was jointly attended by several student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF).
Security arrangements were made at the protest site, with a large number of police personnel deployed and barricades placed on both sides of roads leading towards the Election Commission office. The office was reported to be a few hundred metres from Freedom Park.
According to the organisers, police detained protesters when they attempted to cross the barricades and proceed towards the Election Commission office. The available report did not specify the exact number of people detained or provide a detailed account of the status of all protesters.
In a statement issued on Saturday, AISA’s Karnataka unit bly criticised the police action. The organisation questioned the legality of the detentions and described the action as an attempt to suppress the right to democratic protest.
These allegations were made by the organisation. An impartial assessment of the legality of the action would also require the police’s account, the applicable rules and official details concerning the detentions. The available report did not include a detailed response from the police explaining the reasons for the action.
AISA Karnataka called on the Congress-led state government to stop the detention of protesters, release those detained and remove the barricades. The organisation also demanded that demonstrators be allowed to express their views peacefully.
The statement further called for the opening of sections of Freedom Park that the organisation alleged had remained behind barricades for a prolonged period. AISA said citizens should be able to exercise their democratic rights without fear or unnecessary obstruction.
The organisation’s objections centred on the police deployment and barricading of roads around Freedom Park. The administration’s official position on these arrangements was not detailed in the available report.
The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is a process for reviewing and updating electoral rolls. Under prescribed rules, voter details can be verified and necessary amendments made.
The inclusion of eligible citizens in electoral rolls and the correction of inaccurate entries in accordance with applicable rules are components of the electoral process. The revision must also ensure that eligible voters are not inadvertently removed from the rolls or deprived of their voting rights.
The process can become a subject of discussion among political parties, civil society groups and student organisations. In Bengaluru, protesters demanded that the SIR process be discontinued and that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign. The available report did not establish any specific irregularity in the revision process; verification of such claims would require relevant documents and the Election Commission’s official position.
Constable Hanumanta, attached to Mahagaon police station in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, was suspended on Saturday over allegations that he consumed alcohol on the roof of a mosque in Harsuru village, in Kamalapur taluk.
According to the report, a video of the incident circulated on social media. Villagers allegedly recorded the constable consuming alcohol on the mosque’s roof. Following the circulation of the video, the police department took cognisance of the matter and initiated a preliminary inquiry.
According to the police, the preliminary inquiry indicated that the constable had consumed alcohol. Following the inquiry, Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu issued the suspension order.
The available information did not provide full details of an independent verification of the video or the final findings of the departmental inquiry. The allegations and the eventual findings of the investigation therefore remain distinct matters.
According to the police, a dispute had occurred earlier in Harsuru village. Hanumanta and other police personnel were subsequently deployed there to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident.
The constable was accused of consuming alcohol while on duty. The department initiated suspension proceedings after information relating to the allegation emerged during the preliminary inquiry.
Police personnel are expected to comply with prescribed standards of conduct and applicable rules while on duty. The circumstances of the incident and the allegations involving a religious site are matters for examination through an impartial inquiry and the prescribed departmental process.
The suspension does not, by itself, constitute a final departmental finding. Further developments will depend on the investigation and the actions taken by the relevant authorities.
