Jaipur: It was after the Rajasthan education minister and BJP-RSS leader Madan Dilwar that the state education department issued a three-page circular mandating all schools, private and public, to celebrate the Babri Masjid demolition day as ‘Shaurya Diwas’. Dilwar himself was a Kar Sevak who was involved in the demolition of the historical mosque that was used to be a site of prayer for Muslims.
However, 12 hours after the order was issued, the education department had withdrawn the same claiming exams for students on Babri Masjid demolition day, December 6th. It added that ‘Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations in schools are postponed.
Both orders received immense protest and condemnation from multiple quarters, including the Muslim communities and the Congress party.
Later, a third notification was issued by the state government, precisely from the Chief Minister’s Office, that no decision regarding 'Shaurya Diwas' had been taken by the department and that the claim about any such directive was "false". Thus, the controversy was put to rest, according to PTI.
According to PTI, Dilawar was a long-time supporter of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. His official biography mentions his participation in Kar Seva (volunteer service for the Ram Mandir movement) and Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) in 1990. He also played a key role in the Ekta Yatra led by Murli Manohar Joshi in the early 1990s, and on December 6, 1992, he was "involved with the Kar Sevaks" during the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Dilwar is notorious for stoking controversy as an MLA, who was elected as a lawmaker six times. He is accused of politicising education by critics due to many of his decisions as education minister in the state. In 2024, he issued a directive to conduct Surya Namaskar in schools, which was strongly opposed by Muslims, citing that the practice contradicted Islamic beliefs. During the same time, two Muslim teachers in a government school in Kota were suspended, and disciplinary action was taken against a third on allegations of involvement in religious conversion.
During the summer last year, Dilawar claimed that the heatwaves were the result of the "misdeeds" of Congress. Dilawar also drew flak for changing the colour of bicycles provided to schoolgirls from black to saffron.
Based on PTI story