Amid ongoing protests calling for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), as many as 42 ex-judges have called out the protests against Gyanesh Kumar, saying that the "Election Commission (EC) is at the centre of the assault" on India's constitutional bodies.
Claiming that they were not speaking on behalf of any political parties, they pointed out that the protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the INDIA bloc against the CEC had intensified to the point where "silence is no longer a neutral choice".
"Criticism of institutions is a democratic right. Denigration is not," the letter read, calling the agitation for Kumar's resignation due to alleged vote theft a "calculated campaign driven by vested political interests".
Warning that claims of vote theft were being made in press conferences, rather than being proven in court, they alleged that activists were being part of the problem—activists using "selective litigation" that makes their arguments look legal.
"They file petition, one after the other. They seldom file proof. The courtroom becomes a stage. and when the judgment is delivered, it criticised whenever it does not serve their interests," the ex-judges wrote, warning that the agitations were eroding trust in the judicial system as well.
They then defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), pointing out that it was simply a way for the EC to maintain accurate voter lists—a clean roll to protect every genuine vote.
They also argued that it was rules created under the Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950—not 2025—that empowered the EC to revise the rolls at any time using its powers under Section 324 of the Constitution, which the Supreme Court had also upheld earlier.
"The campaign of casting suspicion continues unabated, regardless of facts or consequences ... The uproar over SIR appears both sudden and remarkably convenient," the signatories remarked.
Where are the anti-CEC protests headed?
The INDIA bloc has sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to discuss alleged violations of the electoral process.
Congress leader K.C. Venugopal told PTI that the bloc had sent multiple requests, proposing a meeting on October 7, 8 or 9.
Meanwhile, the CJP, AISA and other student organisations are preparing for a united protest against the CEC at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 10.
CJP co-convener Sourav Das said in a Wednesday presser that the agitation would continue even after the CEC resigns, asserting that the larger aim was to change a "broken system”.
