'Mockery of process': Inside Rahul Gandhi's dissent note over selection of new CBI chief

RAhul indira gandhi on tues soft his dissent in the "strongest terms" in a alphabetic character to undercoat Minister Narendra Modi regarding the selection of a new director for the Central Bureau of Investigation.In his letter, which the Congress MP posted on social media platform X, Gandhi has alleged that the selection process for a new CBI chief has been reduced to a “mockery” by ensuring that a "pre-decided candidate" is selected.Also Read | Rahul Gandhi dissents on CBI chief selection: 'Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp'What's inside Rahul Gandhi's note? | Full textDear 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 Opposition is included in the Selection Committee. Regrettably, you have continued to deny me any meaningful role in the 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.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 Opposition is not a rubber stamp. I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise.I therefore dissent in the strongest terms.Sincerely,Rahul Gandhi CBI to get new director soonThe Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is preparing a shortlist of senior IPS officers from the 1989 to 1992 batches for consideration for the post of the next CBI director.As reported by HT earlier, the officers believed to be in the race are Parag Jain, the current chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW); Ajay Kumar Sharma; Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor; Sadanand Date, Maharashtra DGP; G P Singh, Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force; Piyush Anand, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force; and Satish Golchha, the current Delhi Police Commissioner, among others.Incumbent director Praveen Sood is serving a one-year extension beyond his fixed two-year tenure. However, people familiar to the matter told HT that Sood is also in the consideration.