As Cong govt plans to review textbooks, row over Maharana Pratap in Rajasthan

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As the new government plans to review school textbooks in Rajasthan, a war of words has erupted between the Congress and the BJP over Maharana Pratap.

BJP legislator Vasudev Devnani said Thursday the ruling party wants "Congressisation" of text books and sought Chief Minister Ahok Gehlot's views on the Rajput warrior.

"The Congress has put the pride of the nation and the state at stake and is on the task of 'Congressisation' of curriculum. Not accepting Maharana Pratap as great is insult and is equivalent to sedition in the eyes of common people," he said.

He added, Mughal emperor Akbar can be accepted as a ruler but people of the country will not accept if he is compared to Maharana Pratap.

Devnani was the school education minister in Vasundhara Raje's government, which lost power in the state elections held last month.

"Transport minister has accepted that Maharana Pratap was great whereas school education minister is hesitating in accepting his greatness. So, chief minister should clarify whether he considers him great or not," he added.

Hitting back, School Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara sought to know in which book the BJP government has described Maharana Pratap as "great".

"We want to know from the BJP that in which book and which chapter it described Maharana Pratap as great. They made several changes during their tenure but did not write the word 'great'," he told PTI.

The minister said every child of the country accepts the valour, greatness and courage of Maharana Pratap. However, the BJP government added chapters on Hindutva idealogue Veer Savarkar and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya but did not describe Maharana Pratap as "great" anywhere.

"We will be reviewing the work of the BJP that tried to impose one ideology," Dotasara added.