SIR protest: Former Bengaluru top cop and BJP leader Bhaskar Rao seeks verification of Dhruv Rathee’s citizenship, visa conditions
BJP leader Bhaskar Rao has requested the Union Home Secretary to investigate the citizenship and visa status of YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. The request follows Rathee's participation in a protest against the Election Commission's electoral roll revision exercise.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the growing tension between political figures and social media influencers, as well as the scrutiny of foreign nationals' involvement in domestic political protests.
Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner and BJP leader Bhaskar Rao has written to the Union Home Secretary seeking verification of YouTuber Dhruv Rathee’s citizenship, immigration status, and compliance with visa conditions following his participation in a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday.
In his letter dated October 8, Mr. Rao, who contested the Chamarajpet Assembly constituency representing the BJP in the 2023 polls, said the protest, attended by actor Prakash Raj, the Cockroach Janta Party’s Abhijeet Dipke and others, concerned the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ongoing SIR exercise.
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