Rahul Gandhi recorded a dissent note during the CBI Director selection meeting chaired by Narendra Modi, alleging lack of transparency and fairness in the appointment process conducted under the statutory committee framework for choosing the agency chief.
LoP Rahul Gandhi recorded a dissent note during a high-level selection committee meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi for the appointment of the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Gandhi alleged that the process lacked transparency and fairness, and objected to the manner in which the selection exercise was conducted.
The meeting was convened under the statutory process for appointing the CBI Director, where the selection committee comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India or a nominee judge of the Supreme Court. The inclusion of the Leader of Opposition is intended to ensure institutional checks and bipartisan participation in the appointment of the country’s premier investigative agency chief.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi in his capacity as chairperson of the committee, Gandhi formally recorded his objections to the proceedings.
Gandhi wrote,
“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,”
He further stated, “I therefore dissent in the strongest terms.”
The Congress leader alleged that he was denied a meaningful opportunity to participate in the selection process. According to Gandhi, despite making repeated written requests, he was not provided with the self-appraisal reports and 360-degree assessment reports of the eligible candidates before the meeting took place.
Gandhi, who is also the Congress MP from Uttar Pradesh, claimed that he was expected to examine the appraisal records of 69 candidates for the first time during the meeting itself, while the 360-degree assessment reports were “denied outright”.
He argued that withholding such crucial documents without any legal justification compromised the credibility and integrity of the appointment process. According to him, the lack of transparency ensured that only a “pre-decided candidate” would ultimately be selected for the post.
Referring to earlier developments, Gandhi said he had already recorded a dissent note during a previous committee meeting held on May 5, 2025. He further stated that he had written to the Prime Minister again on October 21, 2025, suggesting measures to ensure a “fair and transparent process”, but had not received any response from the government.
In his letter, Gandhi also accused the Centre of repeatedly “misused” the CBI against political rivals, journalists and critics of the government. He asserted that such concerns were precisely why the law envisaged the participation of the Leader of Opposition in the selection mechanism for the CBI Director.
The Congress leader further alleged that by withholding critical information from members of the committee, the government had effectively reduced the entire selection exercise to a “mere formality”.
Gandhi wrote,
“The Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp. I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise,”
The Centre has not yet publicly responded to Gandhi’s allegations regarding the selection process or the denial of access to the assessment reports.
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