Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 30: More than 200 academicians have written an open letter to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra objecting to her description of IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti as a "gau mutra expert", saying the remark undermines scientific discourse.
The letter, signed by 215 academicians, including vice-chancellors and former vice-chancellors, said disagreement in a democracy should be based on reasoned debate rather than ridicule.
"We write to express our disappointment over your reported remark describing IIT Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti as a 'gaumutra expert'. Whether intended as sarcasm or political rhetoric, such a characterisation raises concerns that go far beyond one individual," the letter stated.
Highlighting Kamakoti's academic credentials, the signatories said scholars should be free to present hypotheses, discuss traditional knowledge and participate in scientific conversations.
The letter argued that scientific temper requires both scepticism and an openness to examine claims objectively before accepting or rejecting them.
"To dismiss a scholar through a label rather than engage with the substance of his views risks undermining the very scientific temper that our Constitution calls upon every citizen to develop," it said.
The academicians further stated that public representatives have a responsibility to maintain the quality of public discourse and that turning scientific issues into political ridicule deprives society of informed debate.
Padma Shri awardee V Kamakoti is a member of the six-member task force on examination reforms constituted by the Union government following the NEET paper leak controversy.
Priyanka Gandhi made the remark during her speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday while criticising the Union government's response to the NEET issue. She said merely forming new committees would not address the problem and remarked that the panel included a former Intelligence Bureau chief, an IT company owner and a "gau mutra expert."
Kamakoti had attracted controversy in January 2025 after narrating, during a Pongal celebration at a cow shelter in Chennai, an anecdote about a monk who allegedly recovered from high fever after consuming cow urine. The remarks drew criticism from scientists, politicians and social media users.
Responding to the criticism at the time, Kamakoti maintained that his comments were based on published scientific literature.