Rajasthan textbook revision: BJP flays Congress for affixing 'son of Portugal' to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's description

Former Rajasthan education minister Vasudev Devnani on Monday, May 27 flayed state Congress government for affixing "son of Portugal" to RSS ideologue Vinayak Damodar's description in class 10 social science textbooks.

Recently, Congress government constituted a textbook revision committee in school education department. Based on committee's findings, department revised a short biography of RSS ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar introduced by previous BJP government. 

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w, in textbooks, it is mentioned Savarkar h described himself as "son of Portugal" when seeking clemency from British government in 1910-11.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Devnani said state government should take inspiration from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who h described Savarkar as "byword for daring and patriotism."

former prime minister h called Savarkar "a classical revolutionary and countless people drew inspiration from him", Devnani said.

"Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recognised and hailed legacy of great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar. n government h issued a commemorative stamp on Veer Savarkar in 1970.

"Indira Gandhi h donated a sum of Rs 11,000 from her personal account to Savarkar Trust and ordered Films Division to produce a documentary on his life," Devnani tweeted.

former state minister said calling freedom fighter "son of Portugal" is an insult.

He alleged Congress government h single-point nda of insulting heroic characters and eulogising only one family.

In response, Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara said changes were me by experts committee.

"What can I say? A committee of experts have written it based on aunticity and ir recommendations. I can only say that whatever has been written in textbooks have been written based on recommendations of educationists," Dotasara told PTI.

In or changes, committee removed prefix 'Veer' from Savakar's name in textbooks and it w refers to him as Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who "plotted assassination" of Mahatma Gandhi, who was killed by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948, less than a year after India gained independence from Britain.  

revision of textbooks t only drew flak from Opposition but also from a couple of leers in ruling Congress.

panel h recommended removal of a picture suggesting self-immolation under Sati or Jauhar from a Class 8 English textbook. It was replaced with that of a hill fort.

"We need to understand practice of Jauhar. Without understanding sensitive issue, any leer, be it from Congress or BJP, should refrain from making a statement," said state Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.