Prakash Raj says regime change will come only through democratic means, rules out comparison with Bangladesh and Nepal
'This is only a trailer’: Prakash Raj warns SIR protests yet to peak
Actor says movement cannot be stopped by shutting protest sites, demands Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and insists regime change must come only through the ballot
Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said the protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls have yet to peak, warning the government that what is visible now is “only the trailer”.
In an interview with Sanket Upadhyay on AI With Sanket on The Federal, the actor said the movement could not be contained by shutting down protest sites. “You may shut down Jantar Mantar, but today Jantar Mantar is present in Thiruvananthapuram, where I am. Tomorrow, I will be in Kozhikode,” he said.
He questioned the use of force against demonstrators. “Where will you send the police now? Where will you send the paramilitary forces? Can you stop an entire country?” he asked.
Raj said arrests would not break the movement. “You can arrest me. You can arrest Abhijeet Dipke. You can arrest other people. But this is not a movement that depends on leaders. It belongs to the people,” he said.
He said the youth would remain at the forefront, with farmers, writers and retired judges standing behind them. After a meeting with representatives of 150 organisations, nationwide protests have been called for the 23rd. He added that the movement was no longer confined to the Cockroach Janta Party, and that groups such as SFI, DYFI and AISA were now involved.
Raj defended the demand for “regime change”, saying it was the result of the government’s refusal to answer questions. He insisted that any change must come through democratic means, distancing the movement from the upheavals in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The elected government, he said, must complete its term, and voters would get their say at the next election.
He demanded that SIR be scrapped and that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar either resign or be removed through impeachment. Alternatively, he said, the Supreme Court should take suo motu cognisance and examine the Commission’s decisions since 2023.
