Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Former Bureaucrats Urge Civil Servants to Uphold Constitutional Values
A group of 98 former government workers wrote a letter to people working in government now.
They said officials should follow the Constitution and the law, even when that is difficult.
They worry that people who disagree with the government are sometimes called “anti-national.”
The group criticised how voter lists were revised and said eligible voters might be left off.
It also criticised how police handled protests and raised concerns about minorities and government investigations.
The letter said that government policies should involve more discussion.
These are the former officials’ views and allegations, not all established findings in the articles.
They acknowledged that problems with constitutional values began before 2014.
The Constitutional Conduct Group sent an open letter to serving civil servants, signed by 98 members, urging loyalty to the Constitution and due process.
The group said democratic dialogue had weakened and dissent was increasingly labelled “anti-national,” while acknowledging that erosion of constitutional principles predated 2014.
It sharply criticised the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of voter rolls, alleging inadequate legal basis and risk of excluding eligible voters.
The letter accused Delhi Police of disproportionate force during youth protests, and raised concerns about minorities, hate speech and alleged pressure on civil servants.
It cited policy decisions and central-agency investigations as examples of limited consultation or alleged harassment; these are claims made by the group.
- Who
- The Constitutional Conduct Group, whose open letter was signed by 98 former civil servants, including Ashok Lavasa, Najeeb Jung and Julio Ribeiro.
- What
- The group urged serving officials to uphold the Constitution and law, and criticised election administration, policing, policy-making and alleged pressure on civil servants.
- When
- The letter was dated 7 October; the year is not specified in the first article. The second article says it was issued on a Wednesday and discusses events including protests on July 20 and an investigation published September 23.
- Where
- India, including Delhi, where the group discussed protests at Jantar Mantar.
- Why
- The group said it was concerned about weakened constitutional values, limited dialogue, constraints on dissent and the independence of public officials.
Group's criticisms
Qualifications and other positions reported
Voter-roll revision
Group's criticisms
The group said the revision lacked a clear legal basis and verified necessity, shifted the burden onto citizens and risked excluding genuine voters.
Qualifications and other positions reported
The articles report the group's allegations and concerns, but do not provide a response from the Election Commission.
Civil-service independence
Group's criticisms
The group said political pressure and fear of adverse consequences made it harder for officials to dissent, and urged them to follow statutory law over conflicting orders.
Qualifications and other positions reported
The group acknowledged that erosion of constitutional principles began before 2014 and said it was not claiming a moral high ground.
Police handling of protests
Group's criticisms
The group described Delhi Police crowd-control measures at a July 20 protest as disproportionate and alleged excessive force.
Qualifications and other positions reported
The articles do not include a response from Delhi Police; the second article reports that demonstrators were injured during the dispersal.
- Authors
- Constitutional Conduct Group, a body of former civil servants
- Signatories
- 98 members
- Recipients
- All India and Central Services
- Election issue
- The group criticised the special intensive revision of voter rolls and alleged it could exclude genuine voters.
- Voter-roll figure
- The second article reports that more than 13 crore names had been removed from voter lists and draft rolls since the exercise's first phase began in June 2025.
- Protest cited
- Youth protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 20; the group alleged crowd-control measures were disproportionate.
- Examples of policy matters cited
- Demonetisation, GST, Article 370, CAA, farm laws, new criminal laws and proposed delimitation
- Named signatories
- Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and former Punjab Director General of Police Julio Ribeiro
