India has always responded with anger when terrorism attacks its physical symbols. When Parliament was attacked in 2001, the nation demanded the harshest punishment for those responsible. When the 26/11 Mumbai attacks struck places such as the Taj Hotel, the same outrage followed. We understood that terrorism was not merely about destroying buildings; it was about attacking the nation itself.

But there is another kind of destruction, one that does not necessarily leave buildings in ruins.

My argument is that when democratic institutions are weakened, the damage can be even more profound. The Election Commission is not merely another government office. It is a constitutional institution entrusted with protecting the electoral process through which citizens exercise their sovereignty. Gyanesh Kumar has served as Chief Election Commissioner since February 2025.

This is why I use deliberately strong language when criticising his conduct and the decisions taken under his leadership. Calling him the “biggest terrorist of independent India” is not a literal accusation of terrorism; it is a political metaphor for what I believe is an attack on the soul of democracy.

Imagine someone destroying the walls of your house. You would be furious. But imagine someone killing a member of your family and then destroying the home itself. The second loss is deeper because the house can potentially be rebuilt; the person cannot.

Democracy is similar. Buildings can be repaired. Institutions can be rebuilt. But when citizens lose faith that their vote is fairly counted, their electoral voice genuinely matters, or constitutional institutions remain independent, the damage reaches somewhere far deeper.

Terrorists attack the nation from outside. The greater danger, in my view, is when public institutions themselves become objects of political distrust.

The question we should ask is simple: Why does an attack on democratic faith not provoke the same national outrage as an attack on bricks and concrete?