Protest against SIR 2026 process and deletion of voter’s names in Doon
Protest against SIR 2026 process and deletion of voter’s names in Doon
Dehradun, Oct 12
A large number of people belonging to various social, women’s, student, and people’s organizations held a citizens’ march to protest against the large-scale deletion of names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and pre-SIR processes of the electoral roll in Uttarakhand, from Gandhi park to secretariat, here today.
Organized under the leadership of the Uttarakhand Insaniyat Manch and Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, the march saw participation from citizens and representatives of groups such as Agragami Chhatra Naujawan Sabha, Stree Mukti League, BGVS, Janvadi Mahila Sangathan, Jan Samvad, AIDSO, SFI, Mahila Ekta Kendra, IPTA, and other people’s organizations. Representatives from various political parties also joined the march.
The march began at Gandhi Park and proceeded towards the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Uttarakhand, located at the Secretariat. However, a heavy police force deployed near the Secretariat stopped the march. According to the organizers, scuffles and pushing and shoving broke out between the police and the protesters. The police personnel pushed the protesters towards buses and took them into custody. Due to this action, the protesters were unable to submit their memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer. Prominent amongst those detained included Kamala Pant, Nirmala Bisht, and Dr. Ravi Chopra.
The protesters stated that the right to vote is the foundation of democracy, and having one’s name registered in the electoral roll is the primary prerequisite for exercising this right. The objective of the revision process should be to make the electoral roll accurate and transparent, rather than deleting the names of a large number of voters. They alleged that the mass deletion of names during the pre-SIR and SIR phases in Uttarakhand has raised serious questions regarding citizens’ voting rights and the credibility of the electoral process.
The proposed memorandum noted that approximately 17.05 lakh names were deleted in Uttarakhand during the pre-SIR and SIR processes, while about 4.01 lakh names were added. Organizations expressed serious concern over the significant reduction in the number of names compared to the electoral roll used for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. They questioned what steps were taken—such as contacting voters, verifying eligibility, and providing an opportunity to be heard—before removing names.
Speakers asserted that any citizen’s name should not be removed from the electoral roll without due inquiry and adherence to established procedures, based merely on assumptions of absence, relocation, or verification difficulties. They demanded the restoration of wrongfully deleted names and called for the entire process to be made transparent, fair, and accountable.
Key demands of the protesters included scrapping the 2026 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and safeguarding citizens’ voting rights by retaining the electoral roll used in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the baseline. They maintained that no citizen should be deprived of the right to vote without transparent verification and due process.
The proposed memorandum also demanded an independent inquiry into names deleted during the pre-SIR phase, prior notice and a hearing before deletion, the organization of booth-level grievance redressal camps across all districts and assembly constituencies, and an independent audit of the electoral roll. The organizations emphasized the need for the time-bound resolution of grievances and the exemption of citizens from unnecessary bureaucratic procedures.
Representatives from various political parties joined the march alongside civil society organizations. The protesters demanded transparency and accountability regarding the deletion of names from the electoral roll. They insisted that election officials must answer questions concerning citizens’ voting rights and ensure an effective system for grievance redressal.
During the march, the protesters were unable to submit their memorandum and were detained. The organizations reiterated their demands to protect voting rights, restore deleted names, and cancel the 2026 SIR process.
