Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar on Sunday said that Mughal emperor Akbar will no longer be portrayed as a great figure in school curriculum.
Criticising Akbar, the minister claimed that he had looted the country for years and declared that no one would be allowed to praise the Mughal emperor as a 'great personality' in the future.
These remarks came during an event to mark the 28th state-level "Bhama Shah Samman Samaroh" at the Vivekananda Auditorium of Udaipur's Sukhadia University.
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Denouncing any comparison between Akbar and Maharana Pratap, the minister called it an insult to the Rajput warrior king and the pride of Rajasthan.
So, calling Akbar "great" is an act of foolishness, Dilawar said, according to the Hindustan Times.
According to IANS, the Minister expressed regret that Maharana Pratap, who sacrificed everything for Mewar's honour and dignity, was never recognised as a great figure. He emphasised stating that education is the highest duty and assured that every contribution made by Bhama Shahs for education would be utilised appropriately.
In January, Dilawar had labelled Mughal emperor Akbar as "a rapist" and urged the removal of references to him as a "great personality" from school textbooks. His comments came amid discussions about significant revisions to school textbooks following a government change.
Shivaji Is Referred To As 'Pahadi Chuha' In Many Textbooks: Dilawar
"We don't need to make any changes in the curriculum, but the contents that make any unethical statements or disrespect great men will be removed. There is a lot of misleading information included about our ancestors such as Veer Savarkar and Shivaji. Those statements will be fixed," he said at a press conference on January 30.
"In many textbooks, it was stated that Savarkar was not a patriot. While Akbar is considered a great man, Shivaji is referred to as 'Pahadi Chuha', and Maharana Pratap's role is overshadowed by the role of Akbar. Such statements are not acceptable and will be reviewed, " Dilawar further added.
On Sunday, the Education Minister also praised Rajasthan's tradition of Bhama Shahs, recalling that in 1997, former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat began the practice of seeking cooperation from Bhama Shahs.
He emphasised that Rajasthan is a land of sacrifice, austerity, valour, and heroism, and recounted how Bhama Shah donated his entire wealth to Maharana Pratap when he was forced to live in the forests.
Dilawar concluded by celebrating Rajasthan as a land of great men and heroic deeds, emphasising the inspirational legacy of Maharana Pratap, Bhama Shah, and tribal leader Govind Guru.