Pushed by legislators cutting across party lines to slap sedition charges on those behind errors in Class X geography textbook, the Maharashtra government agreed to file an FIR.
The opposition and ruling coalition MLAs took a strong stand in the assembly on Arunachal Pradeshmissing from a map of India that made it seem like the state was on Chinese territory. The issue ballooned as China has repeatedly claimed Arunachal as its part. TOI was the first to report about the mistake in the text books.
Following the TOI reports, the education department dismissed the 15-member research committee responsible for the error.
Citing the sensitivity of the issue, the legislators on Thursday told the school education department that nothing less than sedition charges must be slapped on the erring people.
"It is by every means a serious mistake. It is an insult to India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Stern punishment should be meted out to those responsible for the mistake," said leader of the opposition Eknath Khadse of the BJP. He was joined by Sudhir Mungantiwar (also BJP), Ashok Jadhav (Congress) and others.
Concerned if a sedition case would stand in court, school education minister Rajendra Darda said legal opinion would be sought before filling an FIR. But the scores of MLAs were in no mood to listen and insisted on the strict charges. Ridiculing Darda's statement, Mungantiwar asked: "Will you hold an inquiry and then file a case if the national flag is hoisted upside down?"
Faced with the heated debate during question hour, Darda finally gave in. "If everyone is insisting, the department will go ahead and file an FIR against the erring people," he said. The education minister stated he was not satisfied with only suspension of the syllabus board and agreed that the blunder merited more stringent punishment.
Replying to a question by Amin Patel, Rajiv Satav and Prashant Thakur (Congress), among others, Darda said the mistake in the text was grave, unpardonable and unbecoming. "Of total nine maps, there is no problem with eight. But while compressing one of the maps, Arunachal Pradesh went missing from it," he said.
Darda later assured assembly members that such an incident will not recur. "A committee of experts in the subject has been formed to avoid such embarrassment," the minister said, adding, "The new study board will be set up within two months.