India, Aug. 20 -- India's democratic experiment has been predicated on our constitutional architecture which distributes power in a manner that tempers tyranny of majority, protects minority voices and institutionalises dissent. Electoral process remains the primary instrument through which legitimacy is conferred and accountability secured. Yet, in recent years, an unsettling pattern has emerged - to question the outcomes of elections and suspect the credibility of democratic process.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's sustained narrative - interventions in Parliament, public rallies and international forums - has consistently projected India as a polity where democratic institutions are hollowing out under the we...