Concerted attempt to 're-write' history, pass on 'distorted legacy': Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday lashed out at the government over the removal of references to India's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the new NCERT class 11 political science textbook, saying there is a concerted attempt to "re-write" history and pass on a "distorted legacy built on lies".

References to freedom fighter and India's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad have been removed from the new class 11 political science textbook by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

Addressing a press conference on the issue at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Anshul Avijit said there is a concerted attempt by this government to "re-write" history and pass on a "concocted, distorted legacy built on lies and untruth to the next generation".

In the NCERT class 11 book of political science, Maulana Azad's name has been unceremoniously deleted which is a huge travesty of history, his name, stature, personality and contribution, Avijit said.

"I condemn it in the strongest possible words. he was the first education minister of Indian and look at this irony that the first education minister who laid the foundations of a universal compulsory education for those under 14 years of age, his very name has been deleted, absolutely shameful," the Congress leader said.

Azad had a great contribution in the freedom movement, was a great scholar, a follower of Gandhian principles, a follower of Swaraj and Swadeshi and was part of the Constituent Assembly committees, he said.

"Nobody is safe from the pace of re-writing history this government is undertaking," he said.

Accusing the RSS of indulging in re-writing history, Avijit said, "Those who played no role in the freedom movement, disrespected the national flag and had no role in the making of India's Constitution, they are the ones who are imposing themselves on our history and trying to change it for generations to come".

"Any reference to the Gujarat riots has been obliterated, there is no reference to the banning of the RSS after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the atrocities due to the caste system have been downplayed now," he said.

As part of its "syllabus rationalisation" exercise last year, the NCERT, citing "overlapping" and "irrelevant" as reasons, dropped certain portions from the course including lessons on Gujarat riots, Mughal courts, Emergency, Cold War, Naxalite movement, among others from its textbooks.

The rationalisation note had no mention of any changes in class 11 political science textbook.

The NCERT has, however, claimed that no curriculum trimming has taken place this year and the syllabus was rationalised in June last year.

"Certain changes not finding mention of in the rationalised content book could be an 'oversight'," NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani reiterated.

In the class 11 political science textbook's first chapter, titled 'Constitution - Why and How', a line has been revised to omit Azad's name from the constituent assembly committee meetings.

The revised line now reads, "Usually, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel or BR Ambedkar chaired these Committees."