BJP can't hide post-Independence contributions of Congress: Gehlot

Jaipur: Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Friday criticised the state govt's decision to withdraw supplementary textbooks "Azadi ke Baad Ka Swarnim Bharat" for classes 11-12, calling the move "absurd."

Taking to X, Gehlot defended Congress's post-independence contributions to India. "It is a fact that Congress led the most govts after independence and deserves credit for taking the country to historic heights. The BJP govt cannot hide this truth. Under Congress rule, scientists built Chandrayaan and engineers constructed large factories, dams and institutions," he stated.

Highlighting the sacrifices made by Congress members, Gehlot questioned, "Our great leaders Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi even sacrificed their lives for the country. Can the BJP govt change these facts?"

The former CM also raised concerns about the financial implications of the decision. "Instead of wasting Rs 2.5 crore worth of books, if they want to teach about the NDA regime, they should print additional pages highlighting their contributions and send them to schools. How can it be justified to waste public money by turning books into scrap?" he remarked.

In another post on ‘X', Gehlot drew attention to pressing issues facing govt universities in Rajasthan. He highlighted two major concerns: widespread vacant teaching positions and pension delays for retired educators.

"Most universities have vacant teaching positions, affecting students' education but this issue is not being addressed. Teachers who dedicated their entire lives to educating students are not receiving their pensions, leaving them dependent on others for their expenses in old age," he wrote.

Citing a specific example, he mentioned that pensioners of Jai Narain Vyas University in Jodhpur have been protesting for months, urging the state govt to "seriously address these issues and find solutions."