2 min readNew DelhiMay 13, 2026 03:18 AM ISTLeader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. (ANI/File)Soon after the Prime Minister-led three-member committee met Tuesday to select the next CBI Director, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recorded his dissent over the proceedings, saying the “Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp” and he will not participate in “a biased exercise”.Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is the third member of the committee.The committee members met at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in the evening to decide who should succeed Praveen Sood as the CBI Director. Sood’s two-year tenure, extended by a year in 2025, is due to end on May 24.Releasing his dissent note to the Prime Minister on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “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.”“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,” he wrote.He pointed out that he had recorded his dissent in the previous meeting on May 5, 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,” his letter stated.“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,” Gandhi said.Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express. During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state. During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor. Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Rahul GandhiAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogUPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2026 Live Updates: Commission will release admit cards at upsc.gov.in, upsconline.gov.in9 minutes agoCBSE Class 12 Result 2026 Live Updates: Result ‘coming soon’, says Umang App45 minutes agoIran US War News Live Updates: Protesters ejected from Senate hearing as Hegseth faces questions3 hours agoGoogle Android Show 2026 Live Updates: New Googlebook laptops, Gemini Intelligence, Android Auto updates, and more3 hours agoWest Bengal Live Updates: Sujit Bose sent to 10-day ED custody in municipal recruitment scam4 hours ago