Rahul Gandhi alleges he was denied access to 360-degree assessment reports of candidates, says process was reduced to a ‘mere formality’.
Rahul Gandhi tells PM Modi he was denied 360-degree assessment reports of candidates for top CBI post. (IMAGE: PTI FILE)
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday recorded a dissent note during the Prime Minister-led selection committee meeting to choose the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said he was dissenting “in the strongest terms” from the proceedings of the panel constituted to recommend the next CBI chief.
“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,” Gandhi wrote.
He further said: “I therefore dissent in the strongest terms.”
What Rahul Gandhi Alleged
He alleged that he was denied a meaningful role in the selection exercise.
According to the Congress MP from Uttar Pradesh, despite repeated written requests, he was not provided with the self-appraisal reports and 360-degree assessment reports of eligible candidates before the meeting. He said he was instead expected to review the appraisal records of 69 candidates for the first time during the committee meeting itself, while the 360-degree reports were “denied outright”.
He claimed that denying access to these documents without any legal basis undermined the integrity of the selection process and ensured that only a “pre-decided candidate” would be selected.
Gandhi also referred to an earlier dissent note he had recorded during a previous meeting on May 5, 2025, and said he had written to the Prime Minister again on October 21, 2025, suggesting measures for a “fair and transparent process”, but had received no response.
In his letter, he alleged that the Centre had repeatedly “misused” the CBI to target political opponents, journalists and critics, and said these concerns were the reason the Leader of Opposition was included in the selection committee process.
He also alleged that by withholding key information from members of the selection committee, the government had reduced the process to a “mere formality”.
“The Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp. I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise,” Gandhi wrote.
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