Owaisi said that children “should not grow up glorifying criminal acts”.
In a post on X, Owaisi expressed his disapproval, stating, “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 act”.”
He further added, “India’s children should know that a functioning masjid was desecrated in 1949 and then demolished by a mob in 1992.They should not grow up glorifying criminal acts”.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also accused the NCERT of operating as an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since 2014. In a recent post on X, Ramesh claimed that the NCERT is launching an attack on the Constitution amidst the controversy surrounding the revision of its textbooks.
The new textbooks have sparked controversy with the section on Ayodhya being reduced from four pages to two and omission of several details that were included in previous editions. These details include the BJP’s Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya, the involvement of “kar sevaks”, the communal violence following the “demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992” and the imposition of President’s rule in BJP-governed states.
The revisions are part of NCERT’s efforts to align the curriculum with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. However, these changes have been met with criticism from various quarters, with many, including leaders from the opposition, arguing that they erase significant parts of India’s history.