181 VCS & EX-VCS CALL FOR ACTION AGAINST RAHUL OVER 'FALSEHOODS'

NEW DELHI: A group of 181 current and former vice chancellors (VCs) along with heads of regulatory authorities such as the AICTE have issued an open letter urging "appropriate action" against Congress functionary Rahul Gandhi. They accused him of spreading falsehoods regarding the appointment process of university heads and tarnishing the reputation of VC's office. The signatories have also initiated an online petition addressed to the Election Commission of India.

Among the signatories are incumbent VCs from institutions including Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, MS University (Baroda), Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, North East Hill University, Shillong, the president of the Association of Indian Universities, the chairperson of AICTE, former chairperson of UGC, and the director of NCERT, among others.

The official handle of Congress on April 28, 2024 posted a video of Gandhi in which he while accusing Modi and RSS of wanting "to end democracy and Constitution," went on to say in Hindi, "...You take out the list of vice chancellors in the education system of Hindustan. All of them are RSS people. They have no idea about education."

Denying the "baseless allegations" regarding the VC selection process, the academicians assert that such claims are made to gain political advantage. They emphasised the importance of discerning fact from fiction and encouraged informed dialogue to foster a supportive educational environment.

The open letter said: "We strongly urge all individuals involved to exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, to abstain from spreading rumours, and to participate in dialogue that is well-informed, constructive, and supportive of our shared goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive educational environment."