Hardliners in Karnataka have been at it again.
A recent circular issued by the State's government to schools has asked teachers to allocate three hours, every week, for lessons on the Bhagwad Gita.
And now, over 8,600 minority schools in the State are upset.
Adding fuel to the fire was Education Minister Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri's comment that protestors against the Gita classes should 'leave the country'.
"Only those who want to promote religious ideologies of foreign countries are protesting the Bhagwad Gita classes. If they want to promote their ideologies, they have no place in this country. They should leave," Kageri said.
The minority schools have petitioned to the State Governor on Tuesday to remove Kageri from his post.
"It's unconstitutional. It's a breach of the oath he's taken. We've asked the governor to dismiss him," Minorities Institutions' Federation Chairman C.R. Mohammed Imtiaz said.
The state government has now dismissed the controversy, with spokesperson S. Prakash saying: "Some motivated people are trying to create a controversy… It's not a government programme. It's a programme by a private mutt. The government has only said to make it available one hour for."
The circular has now been retracted and now the order is that attendance to these classes are not mandatory.
"Tomorrow someone will want to teach the Quran and the Bible. If religious books are for studying in school, what's the fate of students? Let Kageri make special arrangements to teach the Gita in temples and mutts. We're also proud of our religion," said CR Mohammed Imtiaz.
On the other side, state BJP spokesperson S. Prakash said: "When you want to teach moral education to students, you shouldn't think of it as waste of resources. Schools are not spending any money. The mutt is organising it. There is nothing wrong in it."
The High Court takes up the case on Thursday.