Priyanka Gandhi's remark in Parliament, referring to a member of the government's examination reform panel as a "gomutra expert," has triggered the predictable outrage. The truly comical part, however, is that although she did not name anyone, leaders and supporters of the ruling dispensation seemed to identify the individual almost instantly.

Within hours, numerous right-wing social media handles had shifted into the familiar pattern of lavishing praise on his academic credentials, portraying him as an eminent scientist beyond reproach, and directing a barrage of personal attacks at Priyanka Gandhi instead of engaging with the substance of her criticism. It was a masterclass in changing the conversation. The question was never whether the individual possessed impressive academic qualifications, but whether occupying one of the highest scientific offices in the country confers him the licence to publicly legitimise claims that fail the most elementary standards of scientific evidence; and why a country that aspires to be a global scientific power has reached a point where such a remark could resonate with millions of people.

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The individual at the centre of the controversy is not merely another random commentator on television. He heads one of India's premier scientific institutions. When someone occupying such an office publicly lends credibility to claims about the medicinal virtues of cow urine that are unsupported by established clinical evidence, he is not speaking merely as a private citizen.........

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