Criticising the SIR process, actor and activist Prakash Raj on Saturday said the 'visarjan' (immersion) of Ganesha idols as part of Ganesh Chaturthi festivities is over and that the 'visarjan' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar remains.
Referring to media reports that 38 lakh appeals from voters (for inclusion) who were removed from the electoral rolls are pending before the tribunals in West Bengal and that it may take 10-12 years to decide them, he asked whether the huge number of applicants should wait that long.
"Ganesh visarjan is over in Karnataka, Andhra and entire India. Now, Gyanesh Kumar visarjan remains," he told reporters here.
Deep Dive
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and why is it controversial?
How can voters object to a name on the electoral roll during the SIR process?
What demands are being made regarding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar?
SIR was stated to be a cleaning-up process when it began, but it has been found to be a deleting process, not an inclusive one, he alleged.
Elections are not numbers but citizens of the country who are alive, he said.
He said he took a 10-day tour of different districts to meet people and he was told that their names were "deleted" just because they were not at home when a Booth Level Officer (BLO) visited.
Daily wage workers who have gone elsewhere for work have been removed from the electoral rolls, he alleged.
He also asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who conducts 'Mann ki Baat', had explained the SIR process in advance.
"Our demand is that SIR has to be stalled and scrapped," Raj said.
Meanwhile, Telangana BJP chief spokesperson N V Subhash slammed Raj for his "insulting" remarks against the Chief Election Commissioner who heads a Constitutional body.
"He (Prakash Raj) may be entitled to criticise the Election Commission, but comparing the CEC to an idol immersion crosses the line from political criticism to disrespect for a Constitutional institution. Democracy demands debate, not derision," Subhash said in a statement.
If Raj has objections to the SIR process, he can place the facts and evidence before the appropriate forum instead of resorting to "provocative street rhetoric," he said.
Meanwhile, a protest was organised here on Saturday by Telangana People's Front, Cockroach Janta Party and other organisations demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, scrapping SIR exercise and repeal CEC Act 2023.
The protesters displayed posters with messages such as "Gyanesh, It's Done Bro!", "Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign", "Save Democracy," among others.