Bengaluru woke to a political surprise on Thursday as Dhruv Rathee stepped into the spotlight, joining the growing mobilisation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and putting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar squarely at the centre of the protest.
October 8, 2026: YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee has arrived in Bengaluru to join the protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, turning today’s mobilisation at Freedom Park into a closely watched political event.
Rathee’s arrival was revealed through a video shared on social media in which CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke introduces him as the surprise guest. Rathee subsequently posted the video with the pointed caption, “Gyanesh, it’s done bro. Jai Hind 🇮🇳”, signalling his participation in the campaign directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The announcement was also amplified by actor and activist Prakash Raj, who revealed Rathee as the special guest and urged people to turn up at Freedom Park. Raj said the Bengaluru gathering would bring together organisations, civil-society groups and people who claim to have been affected by the SIR exercise.
Rathee, appearing in the video, appealed to people to join the Bengaluru protest on October 8 and also pointed supporters towards another mobilisation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10. The Bengaluru programme is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am with a People’s Tribunal on SIR, followed by a CJP-organised “Chappal Protest.”
The organisers say their campaign centres on concerns over alleged wrongful deletions from electoral rolls and demands relating to the SIR process. CJP has also listed demands including restoration of the earlier voters’ list, an independent inquiry and changes to the framework governing appointments to the Election Commission.
With Rathee making his first reported appearance in Bengaluru for the protest alongside Prakash Raj and CJP organisers, the October 8 gathering has become another prominent episode in the growing public campaign over SIR and the Election Commission.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
Independent. Fearless. On the People’s Path.
