CPI(ML) stages protest in Agartala demanding repeal of SIR and other reforms

By TC News Desk

Agartala, 19^th August 2025:     The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) [CPI(ML)] organized a three-hour public sit-in at Paradise Chowmuhani here today pressing for the repeal of the controversial SIR (Special Identification Register) and three other key demands. Party leaders warned that failure to address their concerns promptly could lead to a broader, intensified movement in the coming days.

Speaking to reporters during the demonstration, a senior CPI(ML) leader accused the BJP-led central government of undermining the democratic fabric of the republic through the implementation of SIR. He alleged that the Election Commission, under the guise of revising voter rolls, was facilitating electoral fraud.

The leader cited Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s August 7 public address, in which Gandhi reportedly exposed irregularities linked to voter disenfranchisement. “In Maharashtra, vote theft is being masked as administrative error, while in Bihar, it’s outright electoral robbery,” the CPI(ML) leader claimed. He further stated that nearly 6.5 million names were removed from the initial SIR list, calling the move “anti-republican” and demanding its immediate withdrawal.

The protest also spotlighted growing public discontent over the installation of smart electricity meters and what the party described as “unjustified hikes” in power bills. CPI(ML) leaders argued that the rollout of smart meters has caused widespread hardship, with citizens across the country joining protests against the initiative.

They criticized the BJP’s stance in West Bengal, where party leaders have vocally opposed smart meters installed by the Trinamool Congress government, while allegedly imposing similar measures in BJP-ruled states. “This hypocrisy is pushing people to the brink of harassment,” the leader said, demanding an immediate halt to the smart meter program.

The CPI(ML) reiterated its four-point charter of demands and urged authorities to act swiftly. “If these issues are not resolved soon, we will escalate our movement,” the party warned.