National Desk
19 February
Ludhiana
Sandeep Dhand
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticized the government’s decision to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the new Election Commissioner late at night. He called it “disrespectful” and “insulting,” especially since the selection process is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court.
The appointment was made on Monday night, hours after a meeting of the selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi, who was also present as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, had requested the meeting be postponed due to the ongoing court case. He also filed a formal dissent note.
In a post on X, Gandhi stated that an independent Election Commission must be free from government interference and that the selection process is a key aspect of this independence. He accused the Modi government of violating Supreme Court orders by removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, raising concerns about electoral integrity.
Gandhi emphasized that, as the Leader of the Opposition, it is his duty to hold the government accountable. He said that making such an important decision in the middle of the night, just before a Supreme Court hearing, undermines democracy and the country’s electoral system.