Rahul records dissent on selection of CBI Director, calls it biased move

SECURITY

13 MAY 2026

• A high-powered committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to decide on the appointment of the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in which Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi submitted a dissent note, accusing the government of “institutional capture” of the agency to target political opponents, journalists, and critics.
• The panel, headed by the Prime Minister, includes Chief Justice of India Surya Kant apart from the Opposition leader.
• The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s residence and lasted over an hour.
• The tenure of the current CBI Director, Praveen Sood, is set to end on May 24, 2026.
• Mr. Gandhi shared his strongly worded dissent note on his X handle and accused the government of making a “mockery” of the selection process.
• Mr. Gandhi said that despite repeated written requests, he 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 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. 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,” he said.
• The selection is done from a panel of shortlisted officers. Sources indicated that several senior IPS officers from different states are part of the list of officers being considered for the top CBI post.
• The Opposition leader reminded Mr. Modi that he had recorded his dissent in the previous meeting on May 5 and also written to him on October 21, 2025, suggesting measures for a fair and transparent process.