A collective of 272 distinguished Indians, including former high court judges, retired bureaucrats, and armed forces veterans, has issued a strong condemnation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his sustained and aggressive attacks on the Election Commission of India (ECI). They have characterized his rhetoric as an outburst of 'impotent rage' stemming from repeated electoral failures.
A Scathing Joint Statement
In a powerful joint statement, these eminent personalities expressed deep concern over the conduct of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. They noted that Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the ECI of 'vote theft' using what they described as 'unbelievably uncouth rhetoric'. The statement specifically highlighted his threat to 'hound' election officials after their retirement from the poll authority.
The citizens' group pointed out a significant contradiction in Gandhi's approach. Despite making such serious allegations, he has not filed any formal complaint with the Election Commission, accompanied by the mandatory sworn affidavit. They stated that this failure allows him to escape accountability for levelling unsubstantiated charges and intimidating public servants performing their official duties.
The 'Impotent Rage' Critique
The statement provided a psychological interpretation of Gandhi's behaviour, suggesting it reflects a pattern of 'impotent rage'. This term, as used by the signatories, describes a deep-seated anger born from consistent electoral setbacks and political frustration, unaccompanied by a concrete strategy to reconnect with the electorate.
Among the prominent signatories were National Green Tribunal Chairman Adarsh Kumar Goel, former judges S N Dhingra, Hemant Gupta, and Rajiv Lochan, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, and former NIA director Y C Mod. They observed that several senior Congress leaders, members of other parties, left-leaning NGOs, and certain academics have joined Gandhi in his criticism, even going so far as to label the Commission a 'B-team of the BJP'.
Defense of Election Commission's Process
The statement came to the defense of the Election Commission's procedures, particularly regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The group argued that the fiery political rhetoric 'collapses under scrutiny' because the ECI has been transparent.
They noted that the Commission has publicly shared its SIR methodology, overseen verification through court-sanctioned means, removed ineligible names compliantly, and added new eligible voters. The eminent citizens alleged that the accusations against the ECI are merely an attempt to disguise political frustration as a grave institutional crisis.
The statement concluded with a call for political leaders to accept democratic verdicts gracefully and to respect the constitutional process. It also featured a reaffirmation of their 'unshakeable faith' in the integrity of Indian institutions, including the Armed Forces, the Judiciary, the Executive, and specifically the Election Commission as the guardian of democracy.
