Punjab Congress protest against SIR in Chandigarh; Police uses water cannons on protesters; Watch Video
Raja Warring leads protest in Sector 17; Congress seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 25, 2026: Punjab Congress workers and leaders staged a protest in Chandigarh on Friday against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raised demands concerning the conduct of the electoral process.
The protest began in Sector 17, where a large number of Congress workers gathered under the leadership of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. The protesters later attempted to march towards the Election Commission office.
Police stopped the protesters using barricades as they moved towards the office. Tensions rose during the confrontation, following which Chandigarh Police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators. Several Congress leaders, including Raja Warring, were subsequently detained, according to reports.
Congress workers also burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during the demonstration. The party demanded action against the Chief Election Commissioner and raised objections to the ongoing SIR exercise.
Warring has separately demanded that the SIR process in Punjab be suspended until the next Assembly elections. He has also sought that the elections be conducted using the existing electoral rolls, alleging that the current revision process could exclude eligible voters.
The Congress has also raised concerns over the requirements under the new Form 6 for first-time voters, particularly the need to provide details linked to previous electoral rolls. These are claims made by the party and have not been independently established in the material provided.
The Election Commission of India has rejected allegations of irregularities surrounding the electoral-roll revision process. The Commission's official website currently identifies Gyanesh Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner and provides information related to SIR 2026 and electoral-roll services.
During Friday's protest, Congress workers carried placards with messages including “Save Democracy” and “Cancel SIR” as they sought to press their demands.
The demonstration comes ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, with the electoral-roll revision becoming a major point of political contention between the Congress and the Election Commission.