Unnecessary controversy, says ex-CM as Bommai govt dissolves textbook panel

HD Kumaraswamy said he does not know why the Karnataka government is “unnecessarily raising several controversial issues” when there are “several common problems,” plaguing the state.

Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the state is creating several controversial issues unnecessarily, adding that he is “disappointed in the way” the administration is functioning. Kumaraswamy’s statement came a day after chief minister Basavaraj Bommai decided to dissolve the state's school textbook revision panel amid growing concerns over saffronising the education system in Karnataka.

Former Karnataka chief minister and JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy. (AP)(HT_PRINT)

According to an ANI input, Kumaraswamy said he does not know why the Karnataka government is “unnecessarily raising several controversial issues”. He said there are “several common problems, but they (the state government) ignore them and pick such issues.”

In an order issued on Friday, the Karnataka government said it has an open mind regarding revision of objectionable elements in text books and that a decision has been made to appropriately revise the issues related to Basvaranna.

Amid a row over alleged distortion of the state anthem – ‘Nada Geethe’ by poet Rashtrakavi Kuvempu – the government said an investigation would be conducted into the matter and legal action against those responsible will be initiated.

The panel headed, by Rohit Chakrathirtha, had come under the scanner from various stakeholders across the country, including seers, political leaders and academicians, allegedly for excluding historical personalities such as Bhagat Singh, Periyar, Narayan Guru, among others, and inserting chapters on the likes of RSS founder KB Hedgewar. According to critics, the move was aimed at distorting history and saffronising school education.

Many prominent seers, including Sri Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swami of Sanehalli, wrote to Bommai to withdraw the textbooks or face protests from the entire Lingayat community. They had raised objections to the tweaked information on 12th Century reformer, Basavanna, in a science textbook for class 9.

Chakrathirtha, however, told HT that he has not received any order of intimation from the government on disbanding the textbook panel. “I have said for the last two to three weeks that I am ready for anything,” he added.