Maha Class 9 book calls Rajiv Gandhi ‘corrupt’, angry Cong seeks action

NAGPUR: The Congress demanded on Friday action against Maharashtra’s state-owned school textbook publishers and immediate withdrawal of a revised Class IX political science book that defames former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by calling him corrupt.

Publisher Bal Bharti came out with a reprint of the textbook in which portions of contemporary history were rewritten.

“Rajiv Gandhi faced a lot of criticism in the context of corruption that took place during a defence equipment deal, especially the purchase of long-range canons from a foreign company called Bofors,” says an extract from a chapter.

“Political corruption became a crucial issue in the general elections that followed and the Congress party was defeated.”

The lines triggered controversy with Congress’ National Students Union of India seeking an apology from state education minister Vinod Tawde.

Amir Nuri, NSUI’s Nagpur unit president, alleged that the defamatory references against the former Prime Minister are part of a ploy to malign those opposed to the Sangh Parivar’s communal politics.

He also accused the ruling BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, of trying to rewrite history and thrust their right-wing views into the education system.

The Congress’s student wing warned that it will launch statewide protests if the textbook is not withdrawn immediately and the state fails to apologise.