Open Letter Defends SIR, Questions “Vote Theft” Allegations Without Evidence; Warns Against Eroding Public Trust in Democratic Institutions
New Delhi : As political tensions continue to rise over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, 42 former judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts on Thursday expressed serious concern in an open letter over what they described as an alleged campaign to undermine the Election Commission, judiciary and other constitutional institutions.
The former judges questioned the repeated allegations of “vote theft” being made without what they consider to be substantive evidence. They cautioned that repeatedly portraying constitutional institutions as “thieves” or “compromised” could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.
“Criticism of institutions is a democratic right, but discrediting them is not,” the former judges said in their open letter.
The letter has been signed by former Supreme Court judges Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Pankaj Mittal, among others.
Former Judges Defend Special Intensive Revision
The former judges also defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing it as a legally established exercise aimed at keeping electoral rolls clean and accurate.
Emphasising the importance of public confidence in democratic processes, the former judges stated that “trust is the currency of democracy.”
They warned that attempts to portray elections as illegitimate or unreliable could contribute to unrest and potentially encourage disruptive or anarchic elements.
Three Former High Court Chief Justices Among Signatories
The signatories include three former Chief Justices of High Courts—former Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi High Court Chief Justice B.C. Patel, former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, and former Sikkim High Court Chief Justice Parmod Kohli.
Several other former High Court judges, as well as former members of statutory bodies and regulatory institutions, have also signed the open letter.
Letter Comes Amid Intensifying Political Confrontation Over SIR
The open letter comes amid an escalating political confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission over SIR and the functioning of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The development also comes after BJP national president Nitin Nabin criticised the protests being led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi against the CEC.
Nabin challenged the Opposition to resign from the seats it had won through elections conducted by the Election Commission of India, if it had the courage to question the credibility of the electoral process.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Opposition MPs Detained
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi once again led an Opposition march towards Jantar Mantar. Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition MPs were detained by the Delhi Police.
The INDIA bloc MPs were heading towards Jantar Mantar to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar when the bus carrying them was stopped near Janpath.
The continuing protests and counter-statements have intensified the political debate over the SIR exercise, electoral rolls and the credibility of constitutional institutions, with the Opposition demanding greater accountability while supporters of the electoral process have emphasised the need to protect institutional credibility and public trust.