Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday night wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his strong dissent over the new CBI director’s selection process, accusing the government of “institutional capture” of the agency to target political opponents, journalists and critics.

“I have written to the Prime Minister recording my dissent from the CBI Director selection process. I cannot abdicate my constitutional duty by participating in a biased exercise. The Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp,” he said in a post on X after attending a meeting of the high-powered committee.

The panel, headed by the Prime Minister, also has the Chief Justice of India and the Opposition leader. The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence and lasted over an hour.

The government has so far neither announced the name of the new CBI director after the meeting nor responded to Rahul’s allegations.

Incumbent CBI director Praveen Sood’s term ends on May 24.

“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,” Rahul wrote.

He claimed he was not provided with the self-appraisal reports or 360-degree reports of the eligible candidates despite repeated written requests.

“I was expected to examine the appraisal records of the 69 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,” Rahul said.

“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.”

The LoP said he had recorded his dissent in the previous meeting on May 5 last year and later written to the Prime Minister on October 21, 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… I thereby dissent in the strongest terms,” Rahul said.