Cancel directive on Modi address: CPI-M

The CPI-M Wednesday urged the government to cancel its directive to schools asking students to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on Teachers Day Friday.

"The CPI-M strongly protests against such an unprecedented directive/instruction and demands that the Modi government immediately rescind this," it said in a statement.

It said the official instruction all schools of the country to ensure that students hear the prime minister's address of Sep 5 was unprecedented.

"Such an instruction has never been issued in independent India even for the mandatory addresses to the nation by the president and the prime minister.

"Such an instruction is also never given for the prime minister's independence day address from the Red Fort," the Communist Party of India-Marxist said.

"Clearly, the RSS/BJP seek to use this occasion for the indoctrination of the young minds, instead of them being exposed to all ideas and, thus, preparing them to make informed choices in their lives," it said.

The CPI-M said although the HRD minister had clarified that such an instruction was not compulsory for schools to follow, "it pressurizes the school administration and principals to follow" it.