The people of India agitated against the arrival of Simon Commission because

The primary reason for the widespread agitation and boycott of the Simon Commission (1928) was the total exclusion of Indians from its membership [3]. Although the commission was tasked with reviewing the constitutional system and the Government of India Act of 1919 to suggest further reforms, all seven members were British parliamentarians. This 'all-white' composition was perceived as a deliberate insult to Indian self-respect and a violation of the principle of self-determination, as it implied that foreigners would decide India's fitness for self-government [3]. Consequently, when the commission arrived, it was met with mass demonstrations and the famous slogan 'Go back Simon' by various political groups, including the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. While the commission eventually recommended the abolition of dyarchy, this was a later recommendation and not the cause of the initial protests.

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 18: Simon Commission and the Nehru Report > Simon Commission > p. 365
2. [3] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > 3 Towards Civil Disobedience > p. 38