A group of nearly 300 former judges, bureaucrats, Army officers, and diplomats has strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party for what they call attempts to “tarnish” key constitutional bodies, especially the Election Commission.

The group issued an open letter saying the opposition’s claims of “vote chori” were nothing more than “an attempt to drape political frustration in the garb of institutional crisis”.

Who signed the letter?

A total of 272 people signed the letter: 

  • 16 retired judges

  • 123 former bureaucrats, including 14 ambassadors

  • 133 retired armed forces officers

Some well-known names include former J&K DGP SP Vaid, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, and former IFS officer Laxmi Puri.

The open letter comes at a time when Rahul Gandhi has been openly criticising the Election Commission and the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process, claiming it is helping the ruling party commit “vote chori”.

The Congress, too, has said the Commission’s actions during the SIR exercise were “deeply disappointing” and wants the poll body to prove it is not under political influence.

Titled “Assault on National Constitutional Authorities,” the letter accuses some political leaders of spreading “venomous rhetoric” instead of offering real solutions.

The signatories wrote:
“We, the senior citizens of civil society, express our grave concern that India's democracy is under assault, not by force, but by a rising tide of venomous rhetoric directed toward its foundational institutions.”

They said that after “questioning” the armed forces, the judiciary, and Parliament, the opposition has now turned towards the Election Commission.

The former officials slammed Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly alleging that the Election Commission is involved in “vote theft”.

They noted that he has claimed to have clear proof, but “there has been no formal complaint filed by him, along with the prescribed sworn affidavit”, even after using what the letter calls “unbelievably uncouth rhetoric”.

The letter also mentions how other Congress leaders, activists, and academics have made similar attacks on the SIR process, even calling the Commission the “B-team of the BJP”.

According to the letter, the Election Commission has already explained its SIR process, carried out checks approved by the court, removed wrong entries from voter lists, and added new eligible voters.

The signatories say this shows the opposition’s allegations fall apart when checked closely.

The letter uses a strong phrase, “impotent rage,” to describe the behaviour of Congress leaders, saying it reflects anger from repeated election losses.

It adds that political parties often blame institutions when results go against them, but stay silent when results favour them. The letter calls this “selective outrage” and labels it “opportunism, not conviction.”

The letter also refers to former Chief Election Commissioners TN Seshan and N Gopalaswami, saying their firm leadership helped build the Commission’s strong reputation as a protector of India’s democratic processes.