Gandhiji booklet row: Odisha govt terms it an inadvertent mistake
Bhubaneswar, Nov 16: Facing widespread criticism over an official booklet describing Mahatma Gandhi's death as an "accident", the Odisha government on Saturday said it was an inadvertent mistake and there was no intention to feed wrong information to the children or twist the sequence of events.
School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash came out with the government response to the controversy in the state Assembly following a direction from Speaker S N Patro in this regard on Friday.
Dash said the government has already withdrawn the booklet.
An official has been disengaged and two others have been asked to give explanation about the error, he added.
A two-page government booklet "Aama Bapuji: Eka Jhalaka" (Our Bapuji: A Glimpse) -- published on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi -- presented a brief account of his teachings, works and links with Odisha, while also stating that he "died due to accidental reasons in a sudden sequence of events on January 30, 1948 at Delhi's Birla House".
The matter triggered a row with political leaders and activists demanding an apology from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and immediate measures to correct the "blunder".
The issue had created hue and cry in the assembly on Friday. Members cutting across party lines had expressed concern over the misleading facts on the Father of the Nation.
"There is no intention to give wrong information and mislead the children or twist the sequence of events. It was (mistake) unintentional," Dash said.
Necessary corrections will be made in the booklet, it will be re-printed and circulated among the students within a month, the minister told the house.
Legislators of all the parties had on Friday felt sorry over the episode.
Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra had demanded an apology from the chief minister.
The CLP leader also questioned the state government's motive behind the "misleading" information.
"I doubt the motive behind this misleading information on Gandhiji is because of the changed relationship between the (ruling) BJD and BJP. A section of BJP leaders are worshiping Nathuram Godse, who had killed Gandhiji," he had said in assembly on Friday.
"It appears that BJD has totally surrendered before BJP.
Therefore this booklet could be part of the BJD-BJP secret alliance," Mishra said.
The treasury bench members also condemned the misleading information on Gandhiji in the government booklet.
Sharing members concern, speaker directed the school and mass education minister to make a statement in the house Saturday.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
