PM Modi–Rahul Gandhi’s 88-Minute Meeting Sparks Buzz
LoP objects to all CIC, IC and Vigilance Commissioner appointments during rare extended discussion
- PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi hold an unusually long 88-minute meeting on key appointments
- Discussion covered candidates for CIC, eight Information Commissioners and a Vigilance Commissioner
- Rahul Gandhi formally objects to all proposed names
- CIC faces eight vacancies and over 30,800 pending RTI cases
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th Dec: An unexpected 88-minute meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sent speculation soaring through Parliament on Wednesday amid the ongoing Winter Session. Though the two leaders were scheduled to meet to discuss the appointment of the next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), few anticipated the unusually long duration of the conversation.
Under the RTI Act’s selection procedure, the Prime Minister, a Union minister nominated by him and the Leader of the Opposition jointly decide appointments to top posts in the Information Commission, Election Commission and Vigilance departments. This time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah joined the meeting alongside PM Modi and Gandhi.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi reached the Prime Minister’s Office at 1 pm, with the meeting beginning at 1:07 pm. As the discussion continued far longer than expected, MPs across the complex began speculating about additional agendas.
When Gandhi finally emerged after 88 minutes, it became clear that the meeting extended beyond the CIC appointment. It also covered the selection of eight Information Commissioners and one Vigilance Commissioner. According to sources, Gandhi raised objections to all the proposed appointments and submitted his objections in writing — a move not uncommon from Opposition representatives in such panels.
Despite routine objections from previous Opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, the length of Wednesday’s meeting triggered intense chatter in Parliament corridors about what transpired behind closed doors.
The Central Information Commission currently has eight vacancies, including that of the Chief Information Commissioner. Since the retirement of Hiralal Samariya on September 13, the post has remained empty. Only two Information Commissioners — Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari — are currently handling the caseload.
As per the CIC website, the Commission is grappling with 30,838 pending RTI appeals and complaints, a backlog expected to strain further without timely appointments.
Under Section 12(3) of the Right to Information Act, the Prime Minister heads the selection committee, with the Leader of the Opposition and a minister nominated by the PM serving as members responsible for recommending names for CIC and IC posts.
With Parliament already heated over debates on electoral processes and transparency, the unusually long Modi–Rahul meeting has added a fresh layer of intrigue to the Winter Session.
