In response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks regarding the university heads' selection procedure, over 180 vice chancellors and eminent academicians from top universities in India have penned an open letter criticising Gandhi.

The academics said that Rahul Gandhi had questioned the value of the vice chancellor nomination process in an open letter titled "torchbearers being torched."

“It has come to our notice from tweet and open sources of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader, that appointment of Vice Chancellors is made solely on the basis of affiliation with some organisation rather than on the basis of merit and qualification, thereby questioning the merit of the process through which the Vice Chancellors are appointed," the letter written by 181 vice chancellors read.

“The process by which Vice Chancellors are selected is characterised by stringent, transparent, rigorous procedure grounded on values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction and integrity. The selection has been completely based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take Universities ahead,” it said.

The professors also advised everyone to refrain from spreading erroneous rumours and to "exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction."

The academicians requested that Rahul Gandhi be held accountable for disseminating misleading information in order to gain political advantage.

"In view of the fact that Shri Rahul Gandhi has resorted to falsehood and has defamed the Office of the Vice Chancellors at large with the intent to derive political mileage out of it. It is therefore, earnestly prayed that appropriate action be taken against him forthwith in accordance with law," stated the letter.

The VCs' letter follows Gandhi's remarks, in which he claimed that there was bias in the hiring process for the positions.

According to Rahul Gandhi, VCs were not recruited based on qualifications but rather because of their ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological foundation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Meanwhile, UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pande reacted to the letter and said, "People who are associated with RSS, are being made VCs and those who are concerned about the future of this country, are worried. I think that in a way this is a criminal act and playing with the people of the country and the future of the country..."

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