Controversy Arises Over NCERT Module Blaming Jinnah and Congress for Partition

NCERT's Special Module Sparks Debate

In a recent special module released by NCERT to commemorate Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Congress party, and then-Viceroy Lord Mountbatten have been held accountable for the partition of India. The Congress party has reacted sharply, attributing the division of India to the collusion between the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League after the British left. The module states that following the partition, Kashmir emerged as a new issue that had never existed before in India, posing a challenge to the country's foreign policy. It also mentions that certain countries continue to support Pakistan and exert pressure on India regarding the Kashmir issue.

Congress Demands Action Against the Module

This has ignited a controversy, with Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera calling for the module to be burned, claiming it does not present the truth. Khera stated, 'Burn this document as it does not tell the truth. The partition occurred due to the collusion of the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League.' During a press conference, he added, 'The RSS poses a threat to this country. The idea of partition was first propagated by the Hindu Mahasabha in 1938 and was reiterated by Jinnah in 1940.'

Minister Defends the Module's Importance

Defence Minister of State Sanjay Seth responded to Khera's remarks regarding the NCERT module for classes 6 to 12, stating, 'I want to ask if future generations do not have the right to know about the horrors of partition? The partition is a pain, a wound that needs to be addressed... Shouldn't the country know about those whose families were affected... Who is responsible for this? It is Jinnah, it is Congress...'

BJP Leaders Weigh In

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala questioned Congress, asking, 'Who had the power to stop it at the last moment?... Everyone knows the two-nation theory, which was implemented by Congress and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Congress still talks about Muslim first and the partition of India.' BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain remarked that the horrors that followed the partition were entirely true. He noted, 'There is much discussion about how we gained independence on the 15th, but not about the horrors that spread during the partition... The British caused the division. But why did Congress accept it?'