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In a nationwide demonstration against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, renowned economist Parakala Prabhakar will take the stage alongside actor-activist Prakash Raj and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke. The People Against SIR alliance is organizing a rally on October 23 that will bring together public personalities, activists, and political voices to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the abolition of the SIR.
"Jantar Mantar, har gali mein! October 23, 2026, Friday. march of people to get democracy back. Prabhakar, a strong opponent of the government's economic policies, tweeted, "Let's rise to the challenge." The stage is anticipated to be shared by senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, AISA president Neha Bora, and author Tushar Gandhi. The economist and author is the spouse of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Although the INDIA bloc parties have been urged to participate in the rallies by the alliance, their involvement has not been verified.
PARAKALA PRABHAKAR: WHO IS HE?
Along with YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Prakash Raj, Prabhakar participated in the CJP's October 8 rally in Bengaluru's Freedom Park.
Prabhakar has been a vocal opponent of the ruling party despite his wife, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, having a lengthy history with the BJP.
In his book "The Crooked Timber of New India," Prabhakar has harshly criticized policies such as demonetization, highlighted the increase in unemployment, and questioned what he called the deterioration of democratic institutions.
Prabhakar, who was born in Narsapuram, Andhra Pradesh, met Sitharaman while attending Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. They got married in 1986 despite having different political views.
Although Prabhakar is best known for his vocal opinions on economics, his brief time in politics was just as exciting.
He first became involved in politics in 2009 when he joined the Praja Rajyam Party, which was started by actor Chiranjeevi. Under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Prabhakar advised the Andhra government on communications from 2014 to 2018.
A few weeks after the TDP left the NDA due to a dispute over Andhra Pradesh's special status, he abruptly resigned in April 2018. The opposition accused Prabhakar of compromising the state's interests because his family member, Sitharaman, was a member of a different party. Prabhakar resigned as a result.
His involvement in the demonstration on October 23 is probably going to increase the agitation's visibility.
The anti-Sir protest gains momentum.
Indeed, the anticipated attendance of a number of notable individuals has also brought attention to the recently established People Against SIR coalition. The coalition was established on October 14 and unites many groups, including minorities, farmers, Dalits, Adivasis, and students.
The alliance claimed in a statement that the SIR exercise had resulted in the widespread removal of eligible voters, especially from vulnerable and marginalized populations. Thus far, 13 crore voters have been excluded as a result of the SIR process.
At a time when the CJP and the INDIA bloc have declared a halt to their protests against the SIR and Gyanesh Kumar, the alliance is trying to gain momentum for its campaign. In essence, the goal is to use the gap to mobilize support.
On October 23, it has called on people to plan rallies in their communities and erect "Jantar Mantars" all throughout the nation. The phrase "Har haath mein Tiranga, Har gali mein Jantar Mantar (The Tricolor in every hand, a Jantar Mantar in every street)" was also created by it.
Notably, the call was made just days after Jantar Mantar was designated as a protest location by the Delhi Police, which is part of the Union Home Ministry.
Growing street demonstrations against Gyanesh Kumar by the CJP and the Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc have crippled central Delhi in recent weeks.
The Indian Express's report, which claimed that Gyanesh Kumar had ignored multiple protests from his fellow Election Commissioners, served as the impetus. In actuality, throughout the previous ten months, there were up to fourteen objections.
Rahul has merely used it as fuel to connect it to his broader "vote chori" campaign against the Modi administration.
