India, March 17 -- A group of 204 retired armed forces personnel, former civil servants, diplomats and legal professionals on Tuesday demanded that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, apologise to the nation for his conduct during a protest within the Parliament premises, calling it a violation of decorum and institutional dignity.

In an open letter, the signatories alleged that Gandhi's actions during a protest on March 12 inside the Parliament House complex amounted to a "deliberate defiance" of the Speaker's directives and reflected a disregard for parliamentary authority.

"Despite explicit instructions from the Speaker prohibiting demonstrations within Parliament premises, the Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, chose ...