DMK and allies stage statewide protest against ECI

CHENNAI: A few hours before the Supreme Court took up the case filed by the ruling DMK challenging the Special Intensive Revision exercise, the party and its allies staged protests at 43 locations across Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

In Chennai, demonstrations were held at three points, led by senior leaders from the DMK and its alliance parties. One of the major protests took place on Swami Sivananda Salai, led by DMK treasurer TR Baalu.

Speaking at the protest, Baalu alleged that Booth Level Officers had failed to provide enumeration forms even to alliance party functionaries. He said the Election Commission of India was conducting the SIR exercise at the behest of the BJP-led Union government. “Voting is our constitutional right. The ECI is stealing this right through the SIR. The Commission has become a puppet of the BJP. Every voter must ensure their name is on the electoral roll,” he said, urging party cadres to remain vigilant.

In North Chennai, the demonstration held at Mint saw the participation of MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan and CPM state secretary P Shanmugam. Addressing the gathering, Shanmugam said the SIR exercise not only threatened voting rights but also citizenship. “The forms being issued by BLOs are not easy to fill. The voting rights of 6.41 crore people in Tamil Nadu must be protected,” he said. He too criticised the ECI, questioning its autonomy.

VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan warned that denying individuals their voting rights could push them into a state of statelessness. He said there was a clear distinction between the Special Summary Revision and the SIR. “The SIR is not aimed at revising the electoral rolls. It is designed to verify citizenship. This is the agenda of the BJP and the RSS,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai led a protest at Saidapet, where Congress cadres raised slogans against the ECI and the SIR exercise.