Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Viajayan said on Saturday that the government will not allow for inclusion of communal content in the school text books under any circumstances.
Speaking at the CPI(M) National Meet in Thiruvananthapuram, Pinarayi’s remarks came in the wake of the case filed against Peace Educational Foundation in Kozhikode for allegedly carrying communal content in school textbooks.
“We are not against religious minorities, as (Indian Union) Muslim League alleges. The police don’t hunt them. Religious communities know very well how the government approaches them. So this allegations by the League don’t need to be considered,” he said.
Pinarayi was responding to allegations of the Indian Union Muslim League that the LDF government was targeting religious minorities, in context Zakir Naik as well as Peace Foundation controversies.
He added that the Home Secretary was enquiring into case against Peace Foundation’s school.
“Whatever the syllabus or course is, no child should be taught how to convert others. A detailed probe will be initiated,” Pinarayi said.
The police had seized several documents including those pertaining to the functioning of the schools and relating to the syllabus and textbooks prescribed for the students on Thursday.
A case was registered against the school under Section 153-A of the IPC for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language.
Earlier on December 2, the Kochi police recorded the arrest of three Mumbai-based publishers - Dawood Muhamed Vaid, Sameed Ahmed Sheikh and Sahil Hameed - for including objectionable content in the syllabus of Peace School in the district.