The state government faces backlash after it decided to remove a chapter on Narayana Guru.
Former MLA J R Lobo urged the state government to retain the lesson on the social reformer in its class 10 textbook.
"If the lesson is not retained, Congress will stage a massive protest against the government," he told mediapersons in Mangaluru. The BJP-led government in the state and centre has been purposefully neglecting Narayana Guru. Initially, the tableau on Narayana Guru during the Republic Day parade was dropped. Now, the state government has allegedly removed contents on Narayana Guru from the textbook," he said.
Stating that Narayana Guru was not a common man, Lobo said he was a spiritual guru who preached the doctrine of 'One caste, One religion, One God."
"If we fail to include lessons on social reformers in the textbooks, what are we going to teach the younger generation? Education helps in the development and growth of an individual. There is a need to build society through unity. There is a need to include lessons on the lives of all the great leaders in the textbooks to inspire and motivate the student community," he said.
Lobo accused the government of insulting Narayana Guru and said that the Congress had been demanding to name Mangaluru Central Railway Station where Narayana Guru had reached Mangaluru via train in 1908. However, the Centre failed to respond to the same, he said.