Former Judges Defend Election Commission Amid Opposition Protests

Forty-two former judges and retired constitutional office-holders, including Hemant Gupta and Pankaj Mittal, issued an open letter on October 7 urging the public and political parties to defend India's constitutional institutions. The jurists condemned a sustained, politically motivated campaign that labels authorities as thieves, puppets, and compromised without legal proof. They specifically defended the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls as a lawful process under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, noting that the Supreme Court of India has upheld its legality.

The letter follows protests by the INDIA bloc led by Rahul Gandhi, who accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of manipulating electoral rolls to benefit the BJP. Gandhi and other opposition MPs were detained by Delhi Police on Wednesday during a march toward Jantar Mantar. The signatories warned that undermining public confidence in the electoral process could lead to unrest and urged that grievances be presented in court with evidence.

BJP National President Nitin Nabin responded to the unrest by characterizing the protesters as having an anarchist mindset. Nabin challenged Rahul Gandhi to resign from his seat if he lacks faith in the conduct of the Election Commission of India.