Ex-judges back CEC Gyanesh Kumar, warn against calculated attacks on ECI
Forty-two retired judges have issued an open letter defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, condemning what they term a calculated campaign driven by vested political interests.
News Desk · October 9, 2026 · 2 min read
A collective of forty-two retired judges, comprising former Supreme Court jurists and former High Court chief justices, issued an open letter on Thursday defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar against mounting public criticism. The signatories asserted that silence had ceased to be a neutral choice while constitutional bodies faced sustained pressure.
The intervention arrives amid escalating demonstrations in the national capital by opposition parties targeting the poll panel over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Signatories including former Supreme Court judge Justice Hemant Gupta and former Delhi High Court Chief Justice B.C. Patel contended that current attacks on statutory authorities exceeded legitimate democratic dissent.
The former jurists argued that the intense verbal sparring amounted to a calculated campaign propelled by partisan motives rather than reasoned dialogue. They cautioned that undermining public trust in independent institutions carried severe risks for the stability of the country's democratic framework.
Addressing specific grievances raised during recent political rallies, the letter pointed out that serious allegations concerning electronic voting machines and voter lists were predominantly voiced at media briefings rather than through formal judicial petitions. The signatories observed that legal mechanisms exist to test such claims, yet formal sworn declarations are frequently absent when demanded by the commission.
The statement also singled out the principal opposition party, questioning the consistency of objections directed at the electoral machinery. The veterans noted that electoral outcomes achieved through identical voting systems rarely invited scrutiny from victors, whereas defeats immediately prompted blanket challenges against election oversight.
The open letter further criticised the use of pejorative labels against administrative officers executing statutory duties. Characterising election officials with derogatory terms and hinting at future retaliatory measures, the former judges stated, created an untenable environment for public administration.
Political friction surrounding the election commission intensified earlier this week as opposition parliamentarians and leaders staged consecutive demonstrations in New Delhi. While street protests and police deployments continued around central Delhi locations, the judiciary's retired members urged all stakeholders to channel grievances through established legal and institutional channels rather than destabilising public faith.
