Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 29 : Congress MLA Arif Masood has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government's decision to include chapters on Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) in the school curriculum and called it an insult to the freedom fighters.
"Under which criteria, Savarkar is being included in the syllabus? This is a big question, it is also very regrettable. Whatever background of Savarkar we have read, we have read his letters, which have also come in the social media. It is shameful to add such a person in history and it is an insult to the freedom fighters. The background from which they (BJP) come, their founder and guide, they have compulsion to do all this. But we are lovers of the country. We will not give priority to such wrongdoings," Congress MLA Arif Masood told ANI.
"All I have to say is that this is a joke with the freedom fighters, those who sacrifice their lives, their history should be taught and not those who apologise," Masood added.
While speaking to ANI, School Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Inder Singh Parmar said, "During the Congress government in the state for a short period of time after the 2018 assembly polls, former CM Kamal Nath had suspended a principal who got the book of freedom fighter 'Veer Savarkar' distributed in the school. The Congress people did not want the revolutionaries of our country to reach the children. That's why he (Nath) did so (referring to suspension of principal) in his government, but it is the policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and we are going to include all such revolutionaries, including Veer Savarkar in the school curriculum."
Veer Savarkar has an irreplaceable contribution in India's independence. That's why he should be respected everywhere in the society, unfortunately the Congress governments in the country have not given place to the great revolutionary of India in the history. Therefore, we will do the work of teaching the biographies of many great personalities to the children and we will add it in the new syllabus, the school education minister said.
He added, "Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also asked to add lessons on Bhagavad Gita Sandesh, Lord Parshuram, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru etc. We will include all such revolutionaries in the curriculum. Veer Savarkar was also a great revolutionary, his life should also reach the children, so we are going to include it in the new syllabus."
Meanwhile another Congress MLA Kunal Choudhary said, "The school education minister is trying to feed children milk prepared from urea (referring to a poison). On one hand, BJP is trying to remove Scindia's betrayal from the chapter of Jhansi Ki Rani while on the other hand they (BJP) are going to include lessons on Savarkar. They should also teach the children about Savarkar's apology letter."
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