These 42 “former Judges” have issued letter defending the Election Commission and lecturing the country about “denigration” of institutions. I did some research. Look at the names that keep appearing: (a) Justice Hemant Gupta (ex-Supreme Court) – the same judge who upheld the Karnataka hijab ban, attended a VHP legal cell event after retirement, and has a record of remarks that raised eyebrows even while on the Bench. (b) Justice SN Dhingra** (ex-Delhi High Court) – long known for selective activism; quick to file PILs and issue statements when it suits one political side, and equally quick to dismiss legitimate questions about electoral rolls as “media stunts.” I wrote about him the morning . (c) Justice BC Patel(former CJ of Delhi & J&K High Courts) (d) Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee (former CJ of Karnataka High Court) . The same judge who faced open revolt from the Karnataka Bar over his functioning and controversial remarks on Tipu Sultan. (e) Justice Permod Kohli (former CJ of Sikkim High Court) . He is a regular in letters that defend the establishment and attack political criticism of institutions. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. Now that hard questions are being asked about the SIR process, the same set has rushed to cry “attack on institutions.” 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 “𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.” Selective silence followed by selective moral lectures is not institutional defence , it is political alignment wearing a judicial robe. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.