Opposition to the newly revised textbooks has only grown and acquired caste hues on Tuesday. With the electorally key Lingayat and Dalit groups now taking objection to them, the textbook controversy seems to have acquired political heft in less than a year before the State goes to Assembly polls.
The Lingayat and Dalit groups have taken objection to how lessons on Basavanna and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar have been edited to remove their critique of caste hierarchy in Hinduism, respectively. Meanwhile, six more writers on Tuesday withdrew permission to use their writings in textbooks, taking the total number of writers who have done so to nine. Student groups and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike held protests in the city demanding the sacking of Minister for Primary and Secondary Education B.C. Nagesh and annulment of the Textbook Revision Committee. The Opposition Congress has also demanded the same.
However, a defiant Chief Minister said he had on Tuesday ordered distribution of the new textbooks and they would be given to students soon. He, however, said he had asked Mr. Nagesh to submit a report on the statements by Textbook Review Committee chairman Rohit Chakrathirtha and suitable action would be taken based on the report.
