In a joint statement titled "A National Disgrace at Bharat Mandapam", the signatories, numbering 277 in the released list, including 149 veterans from the three services, 102 retired bureaucrats and 26 former judges, condemned the demonstration as a "grotesque betrayal of national dignity".
In a joint statement, the signatories said the protest, “associated with Rahul Gandhi,” created an “unfortunate impression” at a time when global investors and technology leaders were assessing India’s credibility as a long-term partner in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies.
"No Congress leader is ready to make Rahul Gandhi understand anything," the Union minister claimed.
The episode marks the latest flashpoint in the escalating political rivalry with the BJP calling the disruption of a major international event an act of treason and the Congress defending it as an exercise of constitutional rights.
According to reports, Bhagwat had arrived at the university as part of the RSS centenary programme.
