42 former judges on Wednesday expressed grave concerns over what they described as a sustained campaign to undermine the Election Commission, judiciary
and other constitutional institutions. In a strongly worded open letter, titled "In Defence Of Our Constitutional Institutions", the former judges questioned allegations of "vote theft" made without supporting evidence. They further warned that repeatedly calling constitutional authorities "thieves" and "compromised" risks eroding public trust in democracy. "India's constitutional bodies are under sustained attack. The Election Commission of India stands at the centre of this assault. Even the higher judiciary, which we hold in high esteem, and statutory agencies have not been spared," the letter read, adding, "These attacks are not reasoned critique. This appears to be a calculated campaign driven by vested political interests, with little regard for the potentially devastating consequences of destabilising the world’s largest democracy." Calling the ongoing campaign against the Election Commission with evidence, the former judges in their letter wrote, "Criticism of institutions is a democratic right. Denigration is not."
Former Judges Defend SIR
Defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the signatories emphasised that it is a legally established exercise aimed at ensuring clean and accurate voter lists."The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is part of that very design. Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 empowers the Commission to revise the rolls at any time. Intensive revisions have been carried out repeatedly since the first general elections. The last SIR was completed about two decades back. No one called those revisions a conspiracy," the letter read.
"The purpose is simple. Remove the names of the dead, the duplicate entries of the same name, the names of those who have shifted their residence to another place and to include the names of every eligible citizen. Two decades of migration and urbanisation have left the rolls in need of correction. A clean roll protects every genuine vote," it added.
"Trust is the currency of democracy," the letter warned, cautioning that attempts to delegitimise elections could fuel unrest and embolden anarchic elements.
