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Rajasthan Minister Sparks Row, Seeks Removal Of Textbook That Glorifies Gandhis
Rajasthan Minister Sparks Row, Seeks Removal Of Textbook That Glorifies Gandhis

News18

time3 days ago

  • Politics
  • News18

Rajasthan Minister Sparks Row, Seeks Removal Of Textbook That Glorifies Gandhis

Last Updated: Rajasthan School Education Minister Madan Dilawar said that the Class 12 textbook glorifies only Congress leaders and ignores the contributions from the BJP leaders. A political controversy erupted in Rajasthan after School Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced plans to scrap the existing textbook from the Class 12 syllabus, alleging disproportionate glorification of Congress leaders, while sidelining the contributions by prime ministers from the BJP. While the BJP said that the book propagates narratives that 'undermine democracy", the Congress opposed the announcement, terming it an 'ideological attack". The Minister alleged that the textbook glorifies the Gandhis and omits the contributions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 11 years. The book in question, Azadi Ke Baad Swarnim Bharat Parts 1 and 2, has been a part of the curriculum since the tenure of the previous Congress government. They were prepared by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education. In state schools, the students of Classes 11 and 12 study a two-part textbook, 'Golden History After Independence". This year, following the government's approval, the book was printed and distributed to students. However, part 2 of the book has created controversy. Dilawar alleged that the book portrays Congress leaders in a positive light despite their role in imposing the Emergency. He said that the book contains cover photos of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, along with former PMs from Congress, ranging from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh. However, there is no photo of PM Modi. The Minister said that due to a lack of attention given to PM Modi, the state government has decided to ban the book from schools. 'There are over 15 photos of Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh spread across several pages, but PM Modi is completely absent. The foreword by the book's coordinator devotes 80% of the content to Rajiv Gandhi's contributions. On the other hand, despite PM Modi serving as Prime Minister for 11 years, there isn't a single photo or detailed mention of his contributions. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and PM Modi's achievements are also missing, unlike other Prime Ministers. The book also includes photos of Sonia Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot," he said. 'This book glorifies only the Congress party. It feels as if Congress alone has done everything. Such a book will not be taught in schools. It contains narratives that undermine democracy. There is not even a mention of PM Modi's contributions, let alone his photo. What about the contributions of leaders like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje?" the Minister asked. Reacting to the Minister's remarks, the Congress party warned that it would not remain silent over the ban on the textbook. The leaders argued that banning the book after its distribution wastes crores of rupees spent on printing. 'Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi had done more work, which is why their details are given more prominence," Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said. view comments First Published: July 11, 2025, 10:07 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Rajasthan minister drops Class 12 book citing ‘Gandhi family bias', Congress reacts
Rajasthan minister drops Class 12 book citing ‘Gandhi family bias', Congress reacts

Hindustan Times

time11-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Hindustan Times

Rajasthan minister drops Class 12 book citing ‘Gandhi family bias', Congress reacts

Rajasthan school education minister Madan Dilawar on Thursday announced the withdrawal of two class 12 books citing 'Gandhi family bias', stoking a controversy and prompting a rebuttal from the opposition Congress. Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar with CM Bhajanlal Sharma. (PTI) Dilawar alleged that the two-part book 'Azadi Ke Baad Swarnim Bharat', which has been in circulation for over two decades, glorifies some leaders of the Congress, who imposed the Emergency in the country, suspended the Constitution and killed democracy. "It does not talk about the role of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr BR Ambedkar and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who later founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. These books only glorify the Gandhi family who imposed the Emergency in the country for their greed and for office," PTI quoted Dilawar as saying. The book has two parts and is part of the non-evaluative reading list for Class 12 students. Dilawar said he wouldn't allow such books to be taught to the kids. "We will not let such books be taught to our students. Also, these books were an addition to the syllabus and do not have weightage for marks in exams. Then why burden students?" Dilawar said, while also adding that people like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia were more deserving of a mention in the book. Congress reacts to Rajasthan dropping book citing Gandhi family bias Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra issued a strong rebuttal to the Rajasthan education minister saying the book in question promotes the Gandhi family, alleged that Madan Dilawar was whipping up an unnecessary controversy over something which depicts the contribution of "great" Indian heroes. "This is an ideological attack, the narrow thinking of the RSS on the education system," he said. Dotasra claimed that the books in contention were printed with the permission of the BJP government, the education minister, and other government officials. He asked if the minister approved it without understanding, in which case, what kind of minister was he? "The question is, what is the justification for removing these books from the syllabus? 'What flaw is the minister seeing in these books now that he did not see earlier?" Dotasra asked, adding that 80 percent of the books have already been distributed to students. Dotasra said that erasing the contributions of former prime ministers from school books is not just a change in the curriculum but an attempt to change the direction of thought formation in the education system. He accused the state BJP government of conspiring to distort history and make the "hateful thinking" of the RSS a part of the curriculum. He went on to list the contributions of Prime Ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh, accusing the BJP government of trying to erase them. "Does the BJP government want to hide history and truth from students by removing this indelible contribution of the great heroes of the country from the syllabus?" he asked.

Rajasthan minister seeks removal of books that glorify Gandhis; Congress slams ‘ideological attack'
Rajasthan minister seeks removal of books that glorify Gandhis; Congress slams ‘ideological attack'

Indian Express

time11-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Indian Express

Rajasthan minister seeks removal of books that glorify Gandhis; Congress slams ‘ideological attack'

A fresh political controversy has erupted in Rajasthan after School Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced plans to remove two books from the Class 12 syllabus, accusing them of disproportionately glorifying Congress leaders — particularly from the Gandhi-Nehru family — while ignoring other national icons. The books in question, Azadi Ke Baad Swarnim Bharat Parts 1 and 2, have been part of the curriculum since the tenure of the previous Congress government. According to Dilawar, they portray Congress leaders in a positive light despite their role in imposing the Emergency, suspending the Constitution, and undermining democracy. 'These books glorify those responsible for the Emergency. They ignore the contributions of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr BR Ambedkar, and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh,' Dilawar told reporters. 'Why are there no references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11 years of leadership, or former chief ministers like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje?' Dilawar further stated that since these books do not carry examination weightage, retaining them in the syllabus only adds to the students' burden. He justified the late-stage withdrawal by saying, 'Just because money has been spent printing these books doesn't mean we should serve poison to our children. We are ready to bear the loss to protect students from misinformation. 'The Rajasthan State Textbook Board has already printed 4.90 lakh copies of the books for the 2025 academic session, with 80% reportedly distributed across 19,700 schools. This late removal has sparked criticism over financial wastage and curriculum instability. Reacting sharply, Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra accused the BJP government of pushing a divisive ideological agenda. 'This is an ideological attack and reflects the narrow-mindedness of the RSS,' he said. 'These books were approved by the previous BJP-led government, including the education department. What changed now?' Dotasra questioned the rationale behind the removal, calling it an attempt to erase the legacy of former Congress prime ministers. 'Is the BJP trying to erase the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru, who laid the foundation of modern institutions like IITs, IIMs, ISRO, and AIIMS? Are they ignoring Indira Gandhi's leadership during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Pokhran nuclear test, and the nationalization of banks?' He also defended the legacies of Rajiv Gandhi—who introduced computerisation and strengthened Panchayati Raj—and Manmohan Singh, credited with pioneering India's economic liberalisation. 'By removing these references, is the BJP trying to hide history from our students? This isn't just a change in curriculum—it's an attempt to control the direction of young minds,' Dotasra added. As the debate intensifies, the controversy highlights the ongoing tug-of-war between educational content and political ideology in shaping India's historical narrative. –With PTI Inputs

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