Karnataka BJP chief K S Eshwarappa wants schools 'saffronised'

BANGALORE: Karnataka BJP president K S Eshwarappa on Sunday stirred up a hornet's nest, advising education minister Visvesvara Hegde Kageri to saffronise schools. Eshwarappa was speaking at a programme involving the education department's greening programme in Shimoga.

Appreciating the education minister's efforts for taking up planting of saplings in government schools, Eshwarappa said: "Children's books have a lot of thoughts on religion and culture. It is essential to preserve religion and culture. There is an allegation of saffronization. I advise the education minister to continue saffronisation in Karnataka's 70,000 schools. I wish him good luck in this."

The state has about 50,000 government schools and 20,000 private schools.

Eshwarappa added: "Saffronization is not related to any religion. Even planting of saplings could be called saffronization. Hindus worship trees. The tree requires manure and water. We worship cow, which gives manure as gomatha, and Ganga and Tunga rivers as mother."

The BJP government has been in news for over saffronization controversy. A row erupted when the state government supported a mutt, which conducted Bhagvad Gita abhiyan in schools. During a discussion in the legislature, opposition members referred to B S Yeddyurappa taking oath as CM by wearing green shawl. Intervening, Eshwarappa had said: "He may wear a green shawl, but he is saffron at heart."

Source: TOI