BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: A coalition of retired judges, former civil servants, economists and activists has issued an open letter to Opposition parties, demanding that recent questions over the Election Commission's internal functioning be pursued through sustained parliamentary action rather than political statements.
The letter was signed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah, retired Madras HC judge Justice Hariparanthaman, several former IAS officers including MG Devasahayam, economists Arun Kumar and Santosh Mehrotra, and civil society figures, including Tara Rao, Anjali Bhardwaj, Teesta Setalvad and Prakash Raj. It follows reports of repeated internal objections by two of the three Election Commissioners on matters including electoral rolls, voter deletions and restorations, and the technology underlying electoral databases.
The ECI has maintained that such observations are routine and its decisions were unanimous. The letter's sharpest language was reserved for how it wants the Opposition to act, not merely what it wants investigated. The signatories called for questions, debates, motions and committee action, including the already-tabled impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner.
The letter urges the Opposition to demand answers, place them on record, follow up on responses and return to the issue "until the questions are resolved". "We are asking what kind of Opposition you intend to be," the letter states, adding that signatories intend to hold elected representatives accountable.
The letter also argues about institutional responsibility, and that protecting democratic processes is not solely the obligation of the party in government but belongs to institutions and citizens who elect them.
It calls on the Opposition to direct its energy not simply against the government but against opacity, arbitrary exercise of power, evasion of legitimate questions, and weakening of institutional accountability. It reiterates that the electoral roll “belongs to the Republic, not to any political party”.