A Tribunal for the Disenfranchised
Actor and activist Prakash Raj, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke will convene a “People’s Tribunal” at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on October 8, 2026. The assembly serves as a direct challenge to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a process critics claim has resulted in the mass, wrongful disenfranchisement of voters throughout Karnataka.
Platforming Claims of Voter Erasure
Organized by the CJP, the event is designed to give voice to those who allege they were purged from the voters’ list during the SIR process. Prakash Raj has framed the gathering as a necessary defense of the Constitution, urging the public to treat the event as a critical fight to protect democratic processes.
Proceedings are scheduled to commence at 10:30 a.m. Following the testimonies, attendees plan to stage a “chappal protest” to signal solidarity with those removed from the rolls, as reported by ThePrint. Dhruv Rathee, confirming his attendance via social media, characterized the assembly as a collective effort to safeguard democracy.
Questioning Commission Independence
At the heart of the unrest is the allegation that the SIR process is “faulty” and serves as a tool for the arbitrary removal of legitimate voters. During a press interaction in Thiruvananthapuram, Prakash Raj challenged the necessity of the revision, noting that authorities have failed to produce evidence of foreign infiltrators despite justifying the SIR as a measure to identify non-citizens, per The New Indian Express.
Raj also leveled sharp criticism at the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. As detailed by Telegraph India, he argued that recent legislative changes to the selection panel—specifically removing the Chief Justice of India and adding a Union Minister—have effectively compromised the commission’s independence. He warned that this structure creates a “2:1 ruling party majority.”
CJP Warns of Escalation over CEC Resignation
The Bengaluru event follows a similar demonstration held by the CJP at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2, 2026. Abhijeet Dipke has signaled that the campaign will not end in Karnataka, warning of further escalation if demands for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar go unmet.
CJP Schedules Delhi Protest for October 10
The campaign is set to move to the national capital shortly. Following the Bengaluru tribunal, the CJP has scheduled a follow-up protest in Delhi for October 10, 2026. The primary objective remains the same: to highlight alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision and maintain pressure on the Election Commission leadership to step down.