Congress backs SC ban on NCERT textbook, alleges RSS-driven revisions
Party says apex court is justified in objecting to references on judiciary in Class 8 book, calls decade-long changes “mischief and malice” and seeks investigation
The Congress on Thursday (February 26) said the Supreme Court was justified in expressing concern over critical references to the judiciary in NCERT textbooks, alleging that the revisions carried out over the past decade were driven by the RSS and marked by “mischief and malice.”
Also read | ‘Heads must roll': SC bans NCERT book over chapter on 'judiciary corruption'
The Opposition party’s assertion came after the Supreme Court on Thursday imposed a “complete blanket ban” on the Class 8 NCERT book with a chapter on corruption in the judiciary and ordered that all copies, physical and digital, be seized.
Textbook row reaches apex court
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The Supreme Court is rightly agitated over critical references to the judiciary in NCERT textbooks. Actually, the way NCERT textbooks have been rewritten over the past decade is disgraceful, apart from being dangerous as well. It has been a RSS-driven exercise full of mischief and malice. It is this racket that needs to be investigated.”
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi also issued show cause notices to the NCERT director and the secretary of the department of school education and asked them to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against those responsible.
The bench had taken suo motu cognisance of the “objectionable” statements about the judiciary in the new textbook after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, alongside Abhishek Singhvi, mentioned the matter for urgent consideration.
NCERT apologises after court rebuke
The NCERT social science textbook for Class 8 says corruption, a massive backlog of cases, and the lack of an adequate number of judges are among the challenges faced by the judicial system.
Also read | NCERT apologises after facing SC ire over chapter on judicial corruption
After stern words by the Supreme Court that it will not allow “anyone on earth” to tarnish the judiciary's integrity, the NCERT pulled the textbook from its website, with sources saying the government was livid with the controversial references in the curriculum.
The NCERT on Wednesday also apologised for “inappropriate content” after facing the Supreme Court's ire over the chapter and said the book concerned will be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities.
(With agency inputs)