272 eminent citizens slam Rahul Gandhi for tarnishing ECI by ‘vote chori’ allegations, say institutions must not be reduced to political punching bags

A group of 272 eminent citizens, including former judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, retired bureaucrats, ambassadors, senior IPS and IAS officers, and military veterans, have issued an open letter sharply criticising Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party for their “systematic and conspiratorial” attempt to tarnish the reputation of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The signatories, among them former Supreme Court judges Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Hemant Gupta, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, several ex-DGPs, former ambassadors, former bureaucrats, as well as more than 130 retired senior officers of the armed forces, expressed “grave concern” that India’s democracy is under assault by “by a rising tide of venomous rhetoric directed toward its foundational institutions.”

The eminent citizens noted that after targeting the armed forces, the judiciary, the  parliament and other constitutional functionaries, Congress party has now launched an attack on the integrity and reputation of the Election Commission of India

In the letter, the group accuses Gandhi of repeatedly alleging that the ECI is involved in “vote theft” without providing evidence or filing a formal complaint with the requisite affidavit. They cite his remarks claiming to possess “100 per cent proof” and an “atom bomb” that would expose the Commission, as well as threats issued against serving and retired officials of the poll body. Despite accusing the Commission of indulging in “treason” and open threats to the ECI officers, no formal complaint has been filed against Rahul Gandhi, the open letter lamented.

The eminent citizens also criticised senior leaders of the Congress and other opposition parties, along with “leftist NGOs” and a section of academics, for the “blistering rhetoric” against the EC’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls exercise, and for calling the ECI an ‘B-team of BJP’. They have asserted that the ECI has already shared its methodology for the SIR publicly, complied with court-sanctioned verification, removed ineligible names, and added new eligible voters. “This suggests that these accusations are an attempt to drape political frustration in the garb of institutional crisis,” the open letter states.

The signatories describe the pattern of allegations as “impotent rage” born out of “repeated electoral failure” and an absence of genuine policy alternatives. “When political leaders lose touch with the aspirations of ordinary citizens, they lash out at institutions instead of rebuilding their credibility,” the letter says sharply criticising Rahul Gandhi. They have said that the opposition leaders prefer “theatrics” and public spectacle instead of public service.

The open letter also highlights the hypocrisy and “selective outrage,” pointing out that when opposition parties win elections, there are no criticism of the Election Commission. “This selective outrage exposes opportunism, not conviction. It is a convenient deflection: to give the impression that loss is not a result of strategy, but conspiracy,” the eminent citizens note.

Invoking the legacy of former Chief Election Commissioners T.N. Seshan and N. Gopalaswami, the group laments the attempts to weaken an institution that has historically served as an impartial sentinel of democracy. The letter urges civil society to “stand firmly with the Election Commission”, and to demand that political actors stop undermining the ECI. The open letter adds that the politicians “should offer the public serious policy alternatives, meaningful reform ideas, and a national vision rooted in reality.”

The group also argues strongly for preventing non-citizens, illegal immigrants, fake voters and ineligible names from remaining on electoral rolls, saying that allowing them to influence elections is a grave threat to the sovereignty and stability of the nation. They have urged Election Commission to continue its path of transparency and rigour by publishing complete data, and also to defend themselves through legal channels when necessary.

The eminent citizens reaffirmed “unshakeable faith” in India’s democratic institutions, including the Armed Forces, the Judiciary, the Executive and specifically the ECI, and calls on political leaders to cease “baseless allegations” and engage instead through policy and democratic accountability.

The group end the letter by saying that “India’s institutions must not be reduced to political punching bags. Indian democracy is resilient — its people are wise. The time has come for leadership rooted in truth, not theatrics; in ideas, not invective; in service, not spectacle.”

The open letter has been signed by Justice S N Dhingra, Former Delhi High Court Judge, and Nirmal Kaur, IPS, Former DGP, Jharkhand. The list of 272 signatories have been attached with the letter.

The complete list of the signatories is given below: