Congress will take streets if revised textbooks not withdrawn: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah has declared that his party will take its protests to the streets if the government does not heed their demand to withdraw revised school textbooks. He said on Thursday that the textbooks had hurt Kannadiga's sentiments, Asian News International.

Siddaramaiah said that the head of the textbook revision committee, Rohith Chakrathirtha, was an orthodox RSS man.

Karnataka Chief Minister had ruled out earlier forming a new textbook committee after disbanding Chakrathirtha's and defended the inclusion of a chapter on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder KB Hedgewar.

Bommai said that there is no question of constituting a new committee. "We will discuss with seers who have written letters to me about the reference of Basavanna in the textbooks. I have already said that ours is a Basava Patha (path) government," ANI quoted Bommai.

Bommai also said then that the Baragur Ramachandra committee formed by the previous Congress-led government and the committee formed by his government looked into the revised textbook. Both had similar recommendations.

Earlier this month, the Bommai regime announced the dissolution of the state textbook review committee, which came amid controversy over the textbook revisions.

The BJP led regime appointed committee had included far-right ideologue Hedgewar's speech in school textbooks while allegedly omitting chapters on freedom fighters, social reformers, and litterateurs, which sparked immense criticism. Trying to soften the outcries, Bommai had proclaimed that the government was open to further revision of textbooks.

Congress' youth wing in the state National Students' Union of India (NSUI) initiated the 'Chaddi row', burning khaki shorts outside state education minister BC Nagesh's residence, alleging "saffronisation" of school textbooks in Karnataka.