NEW DELHI: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi registered formal dissent regarding the selection process for the new CBI Director. He wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting that the LoP is not a rubber stamp and he cannot abdicate his constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise.
In his letter, Gandhi said that despite repeated written requests, he was not provided with the self-appraisal reports or 360-degree reports of the eligible candidates.
"Instead, I was expected to examine the appraisal records of sixty-nine candidates for the first time during the Committee meeting. The 360-degree reports were denied to me outright. A detailed review of these records is crucial to assess each candidate's history and performance," he added.
"This deliberate denial of information, without any legal basis, makes a mockery of the selection process and ensures that only your pre-decided candidate is selected", Gandhi pointed out.
The three-member selection panel comprises the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition.
Gandhi said, "Your government has repeatedly misused the CBI, intended to be India's premier investigative agency, to target political opponents, journalists, and critics. It is to prevent such institutional capture that the Leader of the Opposition is included in the Selection Committee. Regrettably, you have continued to deny me any meaningful role in the process."
Gandhi further recalled that he had recorded his dissent in the previous meeting on 5th May 2025.
"I had also written to you on 21st October 2025, suggesting measures for a fair and transparent process, to which I have not even received a response. By denying the Selection Committee crucial information, the government has reduced it to a mere formality," Rahul Gandhi added.