New Delhi [India], May 12 : In a formal letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has officially recorded his dissent regarding the proceedings to recommend the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Gandhi's letter, sent from his 10 Janpath residence on Tuesday, outlined several critical concerns regarding the selection process and asserted that the Leader of Opposition cannot be treated as a "rubber stamp."
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, he alleged that the government has repeatedly misused the CBI to target journalists, critics, and political opponents.
"Dear Prime Minister, I write to you in your capacity as Chairperson of the Committee constituted to recommend the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to record my dissent with its proceedings. Your government has repeatedly misused the CBI, intended to be India's premier investigative agency, to target political opponents, journalists, and critics. It is to prevent such institutional capture that the Leader of the Opposition is included in the Selection Committee. Regrettably, you have continued to deny me any meaningful role in the process," the letter said.
Gandhi stated that despite repeated requests, he was denied access to self-appraisal and 360-degree reports of the eligible candidates. He was reportedly expected to review the appraisal records of 69 candidates for the first time during the actual committee meeting.
Gandhi claimed this "deliberate denial of information" ensures that only the government's pre-decided candidate is selected, making a mockery of the legal process.
"Despite repeated written requests, I was not provided with the self-appraisal reports or 360-degree reports of the eligible candidates. Instead, I was expected to examine the appraisal records of sixty-nine candidates for the first time during the Committee meeting. The 360-degree reports were denied to me outright. A detailed review of these records is crucial to assess each candidate's history and performance. This deliberate denial of information, without any legal basis, makes a mockery of the selection process and ensures that only your pre-decided candidate is selected," the letter stated.
The letter noted that this was not an isolated incident. Gandhi reminded the Prime Minister that he had previously recorded dissent on May 5, 2025, and followed up with suggestions for a fairer process on October 21, 2025, to which he received no response.
"I remind you that I had recorded my dissent in the previous meeting on 5th May 2025. I had also written to you on 21st October 2025, suggesting measures for a fair and transparent process, to which I have not even received a response. By denying the Selection Committee crucial information, the government has reduced it to a mere formality. The Leader of the Opposition is not a rubber stamp. I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise," he said, adding that he is dissenting in the "strongest terms".
This comes after Rahul Gandhi arrived at Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday around 7 pm, the official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and left after attending a meeting to select the next Director of the CBI.
Praveen Sood, an IPS officer of the 1986 batch (Karnataka Cadre), is the current Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He took charge on May 25, 2023, and his tenure was extended by one year in May 2025.