Over 200 retired judges, bureaucrats, former Army officers, and diplomats have slammed the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his serious allegations against the Election Commission under the main opposition party's "vote chori' campaign".
The 272 signatories to the letter include 16 retired judges, 123 former bureaucrats, 133 retired Army officers, and 14 former ambassadors.
The letter, titled "Assault on National Constitutional Authorities" and dated November 18 accuses opposition leaders of levelling “venomous rhetoric” against key institutions and using “provocative but unsubstantiated accusations” to further political narratives.
"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. Some political leaders, instead of offering genuine policy alternatives, resort to provocative but unsubstantiated accusations in their theatrical political strategy," the letter stated.
They said they are alarmed by what they see as an escalating assault on democratic institutions through aggressive political rhetoric. They claimed that after targeting the armed forces, the judiciary, Parliament and other constitutional authorities, similar “systematic and conspiratorial attacks" are now being directed at the Election Commission.
After “their attempts to tarnish” the Armed Forces, Judiciary, Parliament, and several constitutional offices, the letter said those very leaders have now shifted their attack to the Election Commission, attempting to portray it as compromised.
n the letter, they have emphasised that the citizens of the country should stand firmly with the Election Commission, not out of flattery, but out of conviction. They said society should demand that political actors stop undermining this vital institution with baseless allegations.
Invoking India’s founding generation, the signatories said earlier leaders strengthened democratic institutions even amid serious disagreements. They also recalled former Chief Election Commissioners like T N Seshan and N Gopalaswami, whose approach transformed the EC into a powerful constitutional guardian. These figures, the letter notes, did not seek popularity but upheld the rules “fearlessly, impartially, relentlessly."
Gandhi had earlier alleged large-scale electoral malpractice in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections. According to him, a Brazilian model registered as a voter in Haryana 22 times on at least 10 different booths.
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