Wed Nov 19 07:13:08 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
Retired Officials Condemn Congress, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Allegations Against Election Commission
New Delhi: A group of 272 retired judges, bureaucrats, former Army officers, and diplomats have issued an open letter sharply criticizing the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi for their “unsubstantiated” allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI). The group accuses Congress of undermining a vital institution with baseless allegations and theatrical denunciations.
The signatories, including 16 retired judges, 123 former bureaucrats, 133 retired Army officers, and 14 former ambassadors, express “grave concern” over what they describe as a rising tide of “venomous rhetoric” targeting India’s foundational institutions. They specifically address Gandhi’s “vote chori” (vote theft) campaign, labeling it an attempt to mask “political frustration in the garb of institutional crisis.”
The letter accuses Gandhi of repeatedly attacking the ECI without providing concrete evidence, even claiming to possess proof of the Commission’s involvement in vote theft. They point out that no formal complaint, backed by a sworn affidavit, has been filed by Gandhi to substantiate these serious claims. The open letter describes the Congress leader’s atom bomb remarks as unbelievably uncouth rhetoric.
The group contends that the Congress party’s criticisms are selective, appearing only when electoral outcomes are unfavorable. They highlight the ECI’s transparency, citing its public sharing of Systematically Incomplete Rolls (SIR) methodology and its actions to remove ineligible voters and add new ones.
Drawing comparisons to past Chief Election Commissioners like TN Seshan and N Gopalaswami, the letter praises their “fearless” and “impartial” leadership, which transformed the ECI into a respected constitutional sentinel.
The group calls on civil society and citizens to support the Election Commission and urges the body to continue its path of transparency and rigour. It also urges political leaders to respect constitutional processes, compete through policy articulation, and accept democratic verdicts with grace.
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