Actor-activist Prakash Raj launches 10-day ‘SIR resistance tour’ in Kalaburagi

Actor-activist Prakash Raj interacts with residents of a slum settlement during his ‘SIR Resistance Tour’, in Kalaburagi on September 23, 2026. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI Actor and activist Prakash Raj launched a 10-day ‘SIR Resistance Tour’ on September 23 from Ramanagar, a predominantly nomadic settlement in Kalaburagi, raising concerns about the deletion or proposed deletion of eligible voters from electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka.He began the campaign after paying floral tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He interacted with residents, including voters whose names had been put in the Absentee, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO) category.Addressing reporters after the interaction, he claimed that 5,21,950 voters in Kalaburagi district had been placed under the ASDDO category. He questioned whether the existing mechanism would enable all such voters to establish their eligibility before the deadline.Mr. Raj said only around 25,000 people had so far responded by submitting Form 6, according to the information available to him, and questioned the implications for the remaining voters.“Why should an existing voter be asked to register afresh through Form 6 merely to retain their place on the electoral roll,” he asked. He argued that Form 6 was intended for inclusion of eligible voters, and maintained that existing voters, who had already exercised their franchise, should not be treated as new applicants. He raised concerns over the legal implications of making declarations in Form 6, saying that an incorrect declaration could expose an applicant to legal consequences.Mr. Raj said the issue was particularly serious for residents of slums, nomadic settlements, and other marginalised communities, who, he alleged, faced greater difficulties in producing documents and responding to official notices within stipulated deadlines.Highlights treatment of VIPs versus poor peopleDrawing a comparison with cases involving prominent citizens, Mr. Raj criticised the disparity in how election machinery handles prominent citizens versus marginalised communities.“When discrepancies arise regarding high-profile figures, such as senior politicians, or retired judges, officials personally visit their residences to rectify errors. But for residents of slums and nomadic settlements, the administration threatens wholesale deletion of names if paperwork isn’t submitted before arbitrary deadlines,” he alleged.Mr. Raj said his name had also figured in the ASDDO list. He declined to submit Form 6 because he considers himself an existing voter rather than a new applicant.“I may be able to get the authorities to accept Form 6 because I am a known person. But what about the poor and marginalised people whose names have been placed in the ASDDO list?”‘SIR should have aimed to include eligible persons, not remove voters’During his interaction with residents, several people complained that their names had been marked as ‘shifted’ despite having lived in the locality for years and having submitted documents establishing their residence.“SIR should have been aimed at including eligible voters who have been left out of the electoral rolls. Instead, eligible voters are being removed from the rolls,” he said, calling for a review of the process.He said he would visit different parts of Karnataka and conclude the tour with a round-table conference in Bengaluru on September 30. The findings and documents collected during the campaign would be submitted to the Chief Minister of Karnataka on the same day, along with a demand for rollback of the SIR process. He announced plans to raise the issue at a press conference in Delhi on October 1.He was accompanied by activists K. Neela, Meenakshi Bali, K.L. Ashok, Lakshman Mandalagera and Renuka Singe during the campaign. Published - September 23, 2026 12:03 pm IST