Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday submitted formal letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing his dissent over the selection process for the next Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief, alleging that the exercise was biased and had reduced his constitutional role to that of a “rubber stamp.”
Sharing his dissent note on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in a biased exercise.”
The letter sharply criticised the government’s handling of key institutional appointments, with Gandhi alleging that the selection process has been reduced to a mere formality designed to install a pre-selected candidate.
Gandhi also said that by denying the committee vital information, the government has treated the role of the Leader of the Opposition as a rubber stamp.
The Leader of Opposition raised serious concerns over what he termed the “institutional capture” and alleged repeated misuse of the Central Bureau of Investigation by the current government to target political rivals, journalists and critics.
He stressed that the inclusion of the Leader of Opposition in the selection committee is meant specifically to prevent such institutional capture, but claimed that the government has repeatedly denied him any meaningful role in the process.
A high-level meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s residence, attended by PM Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant and Rahul Gandhi, to discuss potential successors to Praveen Sood, whose tenure as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation ends on May 24.
Denied crucial information’: Rahul Gandhi
Central to his dissent is the allegation that the government deliberately withheld crucial information needed for an informed decision-making process.
Rahul Gandhi stated that despite making repeated written requests, he was not provided with the self-appraisal or “360-degree” evaluation reports of the eligible candidates.
He further highlighted the impracticality of the situation, noting that he was expected to review the appraisal records of 69 candidates for the first time during the committee meeting itself.
He asserted that outright denial of 360-degree evaluation reports made it impossible to properly assess the background and performance of each candidate, thereby making a mockery of the legal selection framework.
The letter also pointed to a history of unaddressed grievances, with Rahul Gandhi reminding Prime Minister that he had expressed similar dissent during a previous meeting held on May 5, 2025.
He further referred to a follow-up letter sent on October 21, 2025, in which he proposed specific measures to ensure a fair and transparent selection process, but claimed that he never received any response.
