Pune Activists to Hold Protest on 16th October, Demand Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation Over SIR
Reported By Priyanshu Banerjee and Rishi Sahu
Pune, 14th October 2026: The Lokshahi Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti will hold a protest in Pune on 16th October, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest will take place from 10 am to 5 pm near the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue outside Pune Railway Station.
The committee has alleged that the SIR process has raised serious concerns about democracy and the voting rights of citizens. It has also accused the Pune Police of using force to stop peaceful protests against the process.
According to the committee, several organisations had come together to protest against SIR between 7th and 11th October. However, the committee alleged that the police forcibly stopped the demonstration near Goodluck Chowk on 11th October. It claimed that police personnel used batons against protesters around 5 pm, preventing them from continuing their agitation.
The committee strongly criticised the police action, saying that peaceful protest is a democratic right. It alleged that the authorities were trying to silence people who were raising their voices against SIR.
The organisers said they would continue their protest despite the alleged police action. They have called on the police administration to respect citizens’ rights and allow people to express their views peacefully.
Representatives associated with student organisations, including SFI Pune, AISF Pune and NSYF, were among those listed in connection with the press conference.
The committee said it would submit an application to the police seeking permission for the 16th October protest. The demonstration will focus on the demand to scrap SIR, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to what the organisers describe as police action against peaceful protesters.
