After 42 former judges raised concerns over what they described as a sustained campaign against the Election Commission of India (ECI), 124 former bureaucrats have written an open letter defending the poll body amid allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.
They highlighted safeguards such as polling agents, the sealing of electronic voting machines (EVMs), strong-room security and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification. “Questioning is every citizen’s right. They alleged that constitutional bodies were facing attacks driven by political interests and warned of the consequences of undermining public trust in the country’s democratic institutions.
Because one word, ‘rigged’, is now thrown at our elections without evidence, and every repetition wounds democratic trust that belongs to all of us,” the letter read, we write. In their letter to the citizens of India, the 124 former IAS, IFS and allied services officers said the country’s electoral system had undergone a significant transformation from the era of booth capturing, ballot box stuffing and election-related violence. The officers also referred to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which the ruling party failed to secure an outright majority on its own.
“A system cannot be honest when you win and rigged when you lose,” the letter stated, according to ANI, noting that the party ruling at the Centre had lost several state elections under the same Election Commission. Proving is the accuser’s duty,” the officers said, adding that unsubstantiated allegations could weaken public confidence in democratic institutions and the electoral process. Meanwhile, in a separate open letter, 42 former judges and retired constitutional officeholders said they had no political brief and were speaking out because “silence is no longer a neutral choice”. Earlier reporting noted: The letter, addressed to the citizens of India, comes amid protests by Opposition leaders who allege irregularities in electoral rolls and claims of “vote chori”, or theft of votes. Earlier reporting noted: The former civil servants said they had spent their careers conducting and studying elections, including preparing electoral rolls and securing strong rooms where electronic voting machines (EVMs) are stored.
Earlier reporting noted: “We belong to no party.
