New Delhi: An open letter signed by 272 eminent citizens on Wednesday, November 19, publicly criticised Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for what the signatories describe as "attempts to undermine constitutional institutions", particularly the Election Commission (EC).
The statement comes amid Gandhi’s continuing “vote chori” allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the poll body.
Who has signed the open letter and what it says?
According to reports, the letter includes 16 former judges, 123 retired bureaucrats, 14 ambassadors and 133 retired armed forces officers. It accuses Gandhi and his party of attempting to tarnish the credibility of the EC through repeated claims of voter fraud and electoral manipulation. The signatories argue that such statements erode public trust in democratic systems and misrepresent the functioning of constitutional authorities.
The letter responds directly to Gandhi’s recent remarks, which have included charges of a “centralised operation” to distort results and claims of the “live murder of democracy”. The signatories maintain that these allegations are politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.
Here's a full list of the 272 names who signed the open letter:
Rahul Gandhi's vote chori allegations
Gandhi has alleged that the BJP, with the support of the Election Commission, manipulated voter lists in states such as Haryana and Karnataka. He has cited duplicate entries, misuse of photographs including that of a Brazilian model, and irregular listings such as voters registered under “house number 0”. He has also argued that thousands of genuine voters were removed or replaced through central systems.
The EC has repeatedly rejected these allegations as 'baseless'. The Chief Election Commissioner asked Gandhi to submit an affidavit with specific names of ineligible voters. A PIL seeking an SIT probe into the Karnataka allegations was declined by the Supreme Court, which directed the petitioner to approach the Election Commission for redressal.
Some media reports have found individual irregularities at the local level, while leaders such as Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav have supported Gandhi’s concerns. The BJP, however, has maintained that the allegations aim to discredit India’s electoral institutions ahead of key political contests.
