BENGALURU : Yashwant Sinha, the anti-BJP opposition bloc’s President of India election candidate, on Sunday said the Karnataka BJP government is trying to communalise minds of young students with a new school curriculum.
Referring to huge protests over revisions in schools textbooks by the Rohit Chakrathirtha committee and the changes made by the education depart ment, Sinha said: “In Karnataka, the government has been attempting to communalise minds of the young generation by introducing a new school curriculum coloured by the rul ing party’s ideological agenda. I condemn this. ”
Sinha went on to target the government at the Centre, saying it was “misusing” central government agencies to target anyone who speaks against the regime. “The central govern ment has weaponised the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Election Commission and even the governor’s office against op position parties, their functionaries and their governments,” he said, stating that the only reason for this behaviour is to “insult” them.
Sinha cited examples of governments being toppled in Maharashtra by facilitating the “kidnapping” of Shiv Sena leg -islators and ferrying them to Gujarat and Assam, both BJPruled states, besides those in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and others.
“Is this democracy? Democracy is being assailed and attacked and is unacceptable,” he said.
Sinha urged Droupadi Murmu, the ruling party’s candidate and his rival in the elections, to take a pledge not to be a “silent or a rubber stamp Rashtrapati” and restrain undemocratic practices like “Operation Kamala” which is being used to destabilise opposition-ruled governments.
The former Union minister and retired civil servant said the Supreme Court and the judiciary of the country are being heavily trolled and abused using the “filthiest” of language.
“The day before yesterday, the Supreme Court made a stinging indictment of Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Muhammed, saying ‘Your loose tongue set the nation on fire’. Regrettably, BJP supporters are trolling the honourable Supreme Court for condemning her remarks,” he said, adding that the same supporters hailed the SC for its Ram Janmabhoomi verdict.
Welcoming the statement by chief justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana who said courts are answerable to “the Constitution and only the Constitution”, Sinha said he too, if elected, will answer only to the Constitution.
