Karnataka CM rules out constituting new textbook review panel

Chitradurga: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday ruled out constituting a new textbook review committee amid a row over the controversial tweets and excluding the writings of intellectuals by Karnataka Textbook Review Committee chief Rohith Chakrateertha many years ago.

Chakrateertha has been facing severe backlash from various quarters for his tweets put out in 2016 in which he had allegedly mocked the ‘Naada Geethe’ (state anthem) and also excluding the writings of some intellectuals from the state.

”No, there is no question of constituting a new textbook revision committee,” CM Bommai told reporters at Hiriyur in the district.

To a query on including chapters on 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwara, the Chief Minister said he would discuss with seers of various Lingayat maths.

”Our government treads on the principles of Basaveshwara. There are many superior ‘Vachanas’ (writings) of Basaveshwara. The Bargur Ramachandra-led textbook review committee formed by the then Congress government in 2015 and the textbook committee constituted now has a difference of just one sentence, while rest all are same,” Bommai claimed.

Regarding a chapter on the RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, he said the chapter will not be removed saying, ”What’s wrong in that? I had told the textbook committee that if they come across any disparity, we will take it seriously.”