Bengaluru: Spurred by their personal experiences with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Mohsin Khan , Rajesh Mohan Gowda and Barkath Syed travelled to Delhi to join the anti-SIR protest on Oct 10. Despite the hurdles they faced in reaching Jantar Mantar, the three remain in the national capital, demanding an independent probe into the functioning of the Election Commission and the restoration of electoral rolls as they existed before Jan 2025. Their journey was marked by alleged surveillance aboard a train, a last-minute switch to air travel and repeated detentions.
The 21-year-old Kalasipalya resident said his mother had to travel to her native village to get her name enrolled during the SIR, despite having voted in previous elections. Even after reaching the capital, they were detained and dropped near Okhla, about 20 km from where they had been picked up, Mohsin said. Rajesh Mohan Gowda, 26, said the journey began without incident but took a turn at Daund Junction, where security personnel in uniform and plain clothes approached their coach.
Because of internet disruptions and what they described as surveillance, he added that staying in touch with their families remained difficult. They were driven around for about an hour before being released near the Okhla landfill, he said.
They asked for several details even though she had always voted,” he said. “They started asking our names, took our pictures without permission and asked us where we were going,” he said. The group said similar checks continued at subsequent stations. An Instagram influencer offered to book them flight tickets to Delhi, Rajesh said. Rajesh said he photographed a police bus While travelling in an autorickshaw near Bangla Sahib Road.
The experience left him frustrated and prompted him to join the anti-SIR mobilisation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). “I was very clear that we should be in Delhi. At a time when my mother was unwell, she had to travel to her native village on the very day she was required to do so to ensure her name was not deleted from the electoral rolls. By the time they reached Jalgaon, they had decided to get off the train. The three switched off their phones, travelled by bus to Mumbai and flew to the national capital. Their plans unravelled soon after they arrived. Personnel allegedly chased the autorickshaw and detained all three. Their luggage was left behind in the autorickshaw, but they later recovered it through the ride-hailing aggregator.
