New Delhi | Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday gave a strong dissent note on the process of selection of the next CBI director during a meeting of the high-powered panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said he does not want to be a part of a "biased exercise".

In his two-page dissent note, he alleged that the government has reduced the selection process to a mere formality and the leader of opposition (LoP) cannot be a rubber stamp.

"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 in his dissent note submitted to the prime minister during the meeting.

The PM-led panel which met at the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence of the prime minister, has Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Gandhi as members.

Gandhi also accused the government of misusing the premier investigative agency to target opposition leaders, journalists and critics.

"I write to you in your capacity as Chairperson of the Committee constituted to recommend the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to record my dissent with its proceedings. 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 said in his dissent note.

The LoP said that despite repeated written requests, he has not been 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," he said.

Gandhi noted that 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," the Congress leader said.

He also recalled his earlier dissent recorded in the previous meeting on May 5 last year and the letter written to the prime minister on October 21, suggesting measures for a fair and transparent process, saying he has not even received a response to it.

The tenure of the incumbent CBI Director Praveen Sood is set to end on May 24.

The meeting lasted over an hour, sources said, but there was no official word on the discussions.

The decision on the next CBI director is likely to be announced soon, they said.

The key committee is responsible for finalising the selection of the next CBI director. The selection is done from a panel of officers.

The sources indicated that several senior IPS officers from different states are part of the list of officers being considered for the top CBI post. Some of the names of IPS officers that are understood to be under consideration include Parag Jain, Shatrujeet Kapoor, Yogesh Gupta, G P Singh and Praveer Ranjan.

The premier investigation agency is currently handling several high-profile and politically sensitive cases.