Forty-two retired judges, including former Supreme Court and High Court justices, publish an open letter defending India’s Election Commission and challenging ongoing allegations that there is “vote theft” and that the Commission is undermined. The signatories warn that repeatedly describing constitutional authorities as “thieves” or “compromised” without evidence risks damaging public confidence in elections and may contribute to unrest.
The judges also defend the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing it as a legally established process intended to ensure voter lists are accurate and clean. Outlets frame the letter as a response to what they describe as a sustained campaign targeting constitutional institutions.
The letter arrives during a wider political dispute over protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with the Opposition staging demonstrations in Delhi, according to reports. Some political figures criticize these protests and argue that accusations against the Election Commission are being used to delegitimise election outcomes, while supporters of the protests accuse the Commission and its leadership of wrongdoing. Across coverage, the common point is the judges’ position that criticism is a democratic right only when supported by evidence.
