Because Chaza”l describe the sinah which anti haaretz have towards talmidei chachomim as a very powerful one (I would bite him like a donkey).
We’ve seen throughout our history how this has played out, certainly in the medina.
If the equity which they claim to be seeking were sought after in other areas, we might be tempted to wonder which motivation were stronger. That not being the case, however, it’s quite obvious which is the motivation and which is the excuse.