Former bureaucrats raise alarm over dissent, urge officials to follow constitution

New Delhi: A group of 98 former civil servants has urged serving bureaucrats to remain committed to the Constitution and the rule of law, warning that dissent and disagreement with the government are increasingly being portrayed as anti-national.

The Constitutional Conduct Group, in an open letter issued on Wednesday, said democratic discussion and institutional checks had weakened and called on officials to uphold constitutional principles even when doing so could invite personal or professional difficulties.

The former bureaucrats identified the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a major example of what they described as a departure from constitutional norms. They questioned the legal basis and necessity of the exercise and expressed concern that it had placed the responsibility on citizens to establish their eligibility through documents that many may not have.

They also objected to the use of family lineage to determine voting eligibility, saying the exercise had generated fear and uncertainty among voters. More than 13 crore names have reportedly been removed from electoral rolls and draft lists since the SIR process began in June 2025, prompting concerns about genuine voters being excluded and possible effects on election outcomes.

The group further raised concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission, citing a report that Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected 14 times in 10 months to SIR-related decisions. The former officials said this raised questions about the unilateral functioning of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other senior officials.

They also criticised the handling of youth protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20, alleging disproportionate police action, including the use of lathis, tear gas and pellet guns. The group said the episode underscored the need for senior civil and police officers to maintain institutional independence.

The letter cited several major policy decisions, including demonetisation, GST, the abrogation of Article 370, the Citizenship Amendment Act, farm laws, new criminal laws and proposed delimitation, as examples of declining consultation and dialogue.

The former bureaucrats also expressed concern over central agencies such as the ED, CBI, Income Tax Department and Narcotics Control Bureau, alleging harassment of critics through prolonged investigations and stringent laws.

They called for greater accountability for administrative and police excesses and urged serving officials to follow statutory provisions when government directions conflict with the law.

Among the signatories are former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and former Punjab DGP Julio Ribeiro.