'When the ballot loses meaning, the street gains it': 42 former judges write open letter defending ECI

A group of 42 retired judges, including former Supreme Court judges and former Chief Justices of High Courts, has issued a strongly worded open letter warning against what they described as a sustained campaign to discredit the Election Commission of India and other constitutional institutions. The intervention comes at a time when Opposition parties have stepped up protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raised allegations surrounding the revision of electoral rolls. In their letter, the former judges cautioned that repeatedly questioning the credibility of constitutional institutions without placing supporting evidence before the appropriate forums could weaken public trust in the democratic process.