The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has set off a fresh controversy with its decision to include chapters from the Bhagwad Gita in school curriculum, drawing accusations of saffronisation of education from the Congress.
A notification published in the state gazette earlier this month said one chapter related to the holy book would be included in the “Hindi Special” subject for Classes 9 to 12 from the academic session 2013-14.
The notification mentions that approval has also been granted for including chapters of the Hindu sacred book in the “English Special” subject for Classes 11 and 12. The move has invited criticism from the main Opposition Congress. “The BJP is trying to saffronise education in the hope of getting into the good books of the RSS,” Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja said.
He said that since people of all religions lived in the state, chapters from sacred texts like the Bible, Guru Granth Sahib and Quran should also be included in the curriculum.