Textbooks row: Students join BJP march

Hundreds of students on Monday joined a Bharatiya Janata Party rally in Delhi, a protest against the United Progressive Alliance government's move to replace NCERT textbooks  introduced by the previous BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government.

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The students, from various schools in Delhi, carried placards with slogans like 'No change of books in mid-session' and 'No politics in education'.

Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan, accompanied by some children, submitted a memorandum to President A P J Abdul Kalam asking him to "restrain the government from violating Indian history under pressure from Communist parties."

Accusing Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh of  "playing political football with the lives and future of millions of school children by obstructing their studies," the memorandum said the Communists were "using their political influence with the UPA to force their distorted views of India's glorious past on young minds."

Vardhan also criticised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for banning NCERT textbooks in schools run by the state
government "in her zeal to please her party's president, Sonia Gandhi."