INDIA Bloc Protest to Continue Until CEC Resigns: Karnataka Cong Chief Hariprasad

The INDIA bloc's Karnataka unit is holding a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the SIR.

“Today, the INDIA bloc is organising a massive protest against Mr Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR. This is in continuation of the November 1 Ramlila rally, where my leader Rahul Gandhi ji, All India Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge ji, and all INDIA bloc leaders had gathered at Ramlila to seek the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and to scrap the SIR,” Hariprasad said.

He said that INDIA bloc leaders and members had assembled at Freedom Park to continue the protest.

“In continuation of this, the INDIA bloc has assembled today at Freedom Park, and we are going to start our protest today. All our INDIA bloc members are here. And till Gyanesh Kumar resigns, this protest will continue,” he said.

Hariprasad further said that the protest would be extended across Karnataka, with District Congress Committee presidents holding rallies at district headquarters on Thursday.

“Today, all my District Congress Committee presidents are also holding protest rallies at all the district headquarters. From tomorrow onwards, it will reach the talukas and blocks. This will continue till Gyanesh Kumar resigns,” he added.

The protest, which started at 11 AM and will go on until 2 PM, is being organised by the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc and Samajwadi Party, along with other progressive parties, social organisations and student and youth organisations involved in the anti-SIR agitation.

The protest is being presided over by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President BK Hariprasad.

Multilingual film actor Prakash Raj, CPI(M) State Secretary Prakash K, CPI State Secretary Sathi Sundaresh, CPI(ML) Liberation State Secretary Clifton D'Rozario, Forward Bloc President JR Shivashankar and Samajwadi Party President N Manjappa are also participating.

Representatives of various organisations, including Sarvodaya Karnataka, Eddelu Karnataka, the Federation of Dalit Organisations and the Republican Party of India, are also attending the protest.

Meanwhile, police personnel have been deployed in adequate numbers at Freedom Park to maintain security and manage the gathering.

The protest comes as opposition parties continue to raise concerns over the SIR exercise and seek accountability from the Election Commission.