MANGALURU: Condemning the state government over reported exclusion of lessons on Narayana Guru and Bhagat Singh from school texts, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar on Thursday said it’s a result of the implementation of ‘Nagpur Education Policy’ in the state.
He was speaking at a function organised by the Congress to honour B K Hariprasad and U T Khader on being appointed as opposition leader in the Legislative Council and Deputy CLP leader in the assembly, respectively. Shivakumar said, “It is not the National Education Policy, but Nagpur Education Policy.”
Earlier, slamming the government over the issue, he said the Congress will put the lessons of these great leaders back in textbooks. He criticised Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar and Social Welfare Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary (both belonging to Billava community) for keeping mum over the issue.
“If you had any self respect, you should have resigned. But power is important for you and not self-respect,” he said.
He slammed the government over the Anti-Conversion Act, Cattle Slaughter Act and others stating that all these laws are aimed at driving a wedge between communities and alleged that the government has not made any attempts to generate employment in the state.
Hariprasad said the Narayana Guru lesson was removed from the school text as he exhorted Shudras to get educated and become independent. “They do not want Shudras to rub shoulders with them. By removing Narayana Guru from text, they want Shudras to keep away from education.”
UT Khader said dalits, minorities and backward class people are terrified under the BJP rule in the country and that the present government at the Centre and State are working against the aspirations of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar.
INCLUDED PATRIOTIC SPEECHES, SAYS KATEEL
MYSURU: State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel said those opposing the revised Class 10 textbooks are “traitors” and the state government has “included patriotic speeches of RSS leaders” in the school curriculum. “What is wrong with that? Is it an anti-national move?” he asked reporters here on Thursday.
He said that it is not important who is the writer, but it is the content that matters. “It is unfortunate that people, who have failed to understand the content and its importance, are opposing the inclusion of (RSS founder) K B Hedgewar’s speech. Meanwhile, at a BJP convention of South Graduates Constituency here, he demanded a whitepaper on Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s contributions to the development of the state.