Owaisi Criticises NCERT Textbook Changes, Urges Against Glorification Of Babri Masjid Demolition

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also challenged the portrayal of Ayodhya judgment as an example of "consensus."

Owaisi further stressed that students should be aware of the full history surrounding the Babri Masjid. ( Image Source :X/@asadowaisi )

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi expressed strong disapproval on Tuesday regarding recent alterations in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks that reference Babri Masjid demolition. Owaisi emphasised that children should not grow up "glorifying criminal acts," referring to the Supreme Court's characterisation of the demolition as an "egregious criminal act."

In a post on 'X', the Hyderabad MP underscored the importance of historical accuracy and transparency in education. "India’s children should know that the Supreme Court called the demolition of Babri Masjid an egregious criminal act," Owaisi stated, criticizing the NCERT's decision to replace "Babri Masjid" with the term "three-domed structure" in the textbooks. He also challenged the portrayal of the Ayodhya judgment as an example of "consensus."

The NCERT has decided to replace Babri Masjid with the words “three domed structure.” It has also decided to call the Ayodhya judgement an example of “consensus.” India’s children should know that the Supreme Court called the demolition of Babri Masjid an “egregious criminal…

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 18, 2024

 

Owaisi further stressed that students should be aware of the full history surrounding the Babri Masjid, including its desecration in 1949 and subsequent demolition by a mob in 1992. "They should not grow up glorifying criminal acts," he reiterated.

These comments came in response to remarks by NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, who had defended the textbook revisions as part of an annual update. Saklani urged the public not to create a "hue and cry" over these changes, which include significant deletions and alterations in the Class 12 political science textbook.

The revised version omits direct mentions of the Babri Masjid, referring to it instead as a "three-domed structure," and reduces the Ayodhya section from four pages to two, as reported by PTI. The changes focus primarily on the Supreme Court judgment that facilitated the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site.