'Distortion of history': Karnataka minister slams BJP over school syllabus change

On Monday, after meeting over two dozen academicians and writers at his Bengaluru residence, the CM Siddaramaiah vowed to 'remove politics of hatred'.

Karnataka minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over the 'distortion of history' and accused the former ruling party of making changes to school textbooks with an 'ideology in mind'. "We will have to change a few things because what the previous government did was nothing but distortion of history. The way chapters in textbooks were written… there was an ideology in mind. Lessons in schools must be taught with the facts…" he said.

Congress minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Rao's comments come after chief minister Siddaramaiah said the newly elected Congress plans to take action against controversial changes to textbooks used by government schools in the state.

The minister further declared the BJP 'doesn't like to present facts because they (the facts) destroy its ideology' and that the saffron party tried to impose 'fictional elements' on to school students.

On Monday, after meeting over two dozen academicians and writers at his Bengaluru residence, the chief minister vowed to 'remove politics of hatred'. "There is no question of compromise in protection of harmony and secular heritage of Karnataka… climate of fear will be eradicated."

Also on Monday a group of academicians and writers submitted to Siddaramaiah a memorandum with demands to reform the education sector, including rolling back controversial revisions in textbooks and the ban on wearing a hijab in all educational institutions.

"Act of polluting children's minds through texts and lessons cannot be accepted. As the academic year has started, we will discuss and take action so education of the children is not disturbed."

Last year the Textbook Revision Committee - headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha - drew flak after the government-appointed panel was accused of attempting to 'saffronise' school curriculum by not studying the works of social reformers and progressive thinkers'.

Chapters on social reformer Narayana Guru, freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, and works of progressive writers such as Sara Aboobacker and P Lankesh were removed by the committee.

The committee also drew flak for including chapters on RSS founder KB Hedgewar, and the works of right-wing ideologues such as Chakravarti Sulibele, Govinda Pai and Bannanje Govindacharya.