Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government to immediately stop printing school textbooks that have caused a controversy over their revised syllabus.

According to the Karnataka Textbook Society, a committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha has revised the syllabus of social science textbooks from Class 6 to Class 10 and Kannada language textbooks from Class 1 to Class 10, reported PTI.

A controversy had erupted after two student bodies – All India Democratic Student’s Organisation (AIDSO) and All-India Save Education Committee (AISEC) – alleged that the committee replaced lessons on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh with the speeches of Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh founder KB Hegdewar in Class 10 textbooks.

The body, however, refuted the claims, saying that the lesson on Singh was not dropped. It, however, added that a chapter on Hegdewar has been added to the revised syllabus.

Lessons comprising works of several writers who have been identified with the progressive stream in Kannada literature have also been dropped by the committee, according to The Hindu. These writers include Aravinda Malagatti, L Basavaraju, BT Lalitha Nayak, and K Neela amongst others.

On Wednesday, Siddaramaiah demanded that the Karnataka government should dissolve the committee and withdraw the revisions it has made.

“Appoint a new committee comprising education experts, intellectuals and eminent writers of Kannada,” he added.

The former chief minister also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in the state, for politicising education for political gains.

“This is unfortunate and people should oppose this,” he added. “Let BJP use Hedgewar, [proponent of Hindu Rashtra MS] Golwalkar and [Nathuram] Godse in their political rallies and ask votes by showing their portraits. People will evaluate what is right or wrong, and decide. But do not politicise education for selfish reasons.”