Publishers Apologize for Depicting Prophet: Sibal

The publishers of a class IV textbook have tendered a public apology for depicting Prophet Mohammed and have withdrawn the book that triggered protests across Uttar Pradesh, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said today.

Sibal said that the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) has made it clear that it does not recommend books except in English and in regional languages.

Reports had it that the controversy surrounding the class 4 moral science textbook was recommended as reading material by the CISCE for schools affiliated to it.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is understood to have asked the Human Resource Development Ministry to urgently intervene into the issue and take urgent “remedial” action after meeting key Muslim leaders.

“The ministry has taken cognizance of the reports and had asked CISCE to take immediate steps to ensure that all necessary measures are taken immediately and remove all the offending publication,” Sibal said.

He said the Council took up the issue with ‘Active Publishers’ of Meerut who had tendered a public apology and even met the complainants personally to apologize.

Sibal said the offending books have been withdrawn by the publisher and those in circulation among the students would be taken back from them once schools open for the current academic year.

The Centre has also written to Education Secretary and Home Secretary of Uttar Pradesh asking them to take quick steps so to ensure that the circulation of books is stopped.

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