Economist Parakala Prabhakar, the husband of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is expected to join a nationwide protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on October 23.
Prabhakar will share the stage with Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, AISA president Neha Bora, actor-activist Prakash Raj and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, among public figures in the protest organised by the People Against SIR alliance to demand the scrapping of the SIR and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“Har gali me Jantar Mantar! Friday, 23 October, 2026. People’s March to Restore Democracy. Let’s Rise to the Challenge,” said Prabhakar, a vocal critic of the Centre, in a post on X. While opposition leaders have been invited to join the protest, their participation has not been confirmed.
Under the slogan “Har Haath Mein Tiranga, Har Gali Mein Jantar Mantar”, organisers have called for demonstrations across the country, alleging that SIR risks disenfranchising eligible voters. The Election Commission’s revision exercise is intended to update electoral rolls; the allegations of politically motivated deletions remain contested.
Prabhakar’s Views On SIR
Prabhakar had also joined the CJP’s October 8 protest in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, where YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Prakash Raj. He had described the SIR as a “bloodless political genocide of citizenship”, alleging mass disenfranchisement of voters.
He had also warned that the process could create two categories of citizens — those who retain their right to vote and those who lose it despite remaining citizens.
Despite his wife’s close association with the BJP, Prabhakar has been an outspoken critic of the Centre, frequently questioning its economic policies, governance and electoral practices. In 2024, he also described the electoral bonds controversy as one of the biggest scams in the world and predicted electoral consequences for the BJP. His outspoken criticism has drawn attention given his wife’s senior position in the BJP-led government.
Anti-SIR Protest On Oct 23
The anticipated participation of several prominent figures has put the newly formed People Against SIR alliance in the spotlight. The alliance brings together a diverse range of groups, including students, farmers, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities.
In a statement, the group called for a People’s March on October 23 to “restore democracy and create Jantar Mantars all over the country.” This came at a time when the INDIA Bloc and the CJP have announced a pause in their campaigns against the SIR and Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest was also announced after the Delhi Police launched a massive crackdown on a planned protest by the CJP on October 10 and de-notified Jantar Mantar as a protest site. The People Against SIR alliance demanded the removal of Kumar and the appointment of a new Election Commission through an unbiased process.
