BJP Response to SIR Protests and CEC Gyanesh Kumar Row: Key Points
How the BJP and NDA have responded to CJP and opposition protests demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the SIR of voter rolls.
The opposition charge
Opposition parties and the Cockroach Janta Party accuse the Election Commission of wrongly deleting genuine voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign. Speakers at Bengaluru's Freedom Park protest on October 8 alleged the CEC was acting at the behest of the BJP leadership, as reported by The Times of India.
BJP's main line of defence
The BJP rejects these claims. Its argument is that the SIR is a lawful clean-up of duplicate, dead and shifted voters carried out by an independent constitutional body. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Rahul Gandhi on October 5 of misleading the public on Form 6 and the Bihar SIR row, according to live coverage that day.
In Bengaluru, an NDA delegation met Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a memorandum on the SIR, showing that the ruling side is also engaging with the process rather than only reacting to protests.
Courts and institutions
On October 5 the Supreme Court declined to pass an interim order restraining the CEC from functioning, while petitions continue. A separate plea has questioned the appointments of the CEC and election commissioners. BJP leaders point to the absence of court restraint as support for the commission.
Allies speak up
Shiv Sena's Shaina NC defended the Election Commission on October 5, reflecting a broader NDA effort to frame the protests as an attack on institutions rather than a citizens' movement.
What it means for voters
Whatever the political arguments, individual voters have practical options: check their entries online, contact Booth Level Officers and file claims within deadlines. The BJP and opposition both encourage voters to verify their names — for very different reasons.
Key dates
- Oct 3–4: Jantar Mantar protests and detentions
- Oct 5: Supreme Court declines interim order against CEC
- Oct 8: CJP People's Tribunal in Bengaluru
- Oct 10: CJP returns to Jantar Mantar
Frequently asked questions
What is BJP's stand on the SIR?
BJP says the SIR is a lawful clean-up of voter rolls by an independent constitutional body.
Did the Supreme Court stop the CEC from working?
No. On October 5 it declined to pass an interim order.
Sources
Independently written from reporting by the outlets below. Allegations are attributed and have not been independently verified by EngBen. Details may change.