New Delhi: Congress on January 6 deplored Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's "negative remarks" regarding changes made in school history books saying they were directed against Muslims.

"We deplore Vajpayee's tendency to indulge in anti-Muslim innuendoes without any provocation. His negative remarks made on green colour (with regard to the changes in the educational system) has connotation too obvious to be missed," party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters apparently referring to the association of green with Islam.

Strongly objecting the remarks, he said it was "unfortunate" that the Prime Minister could not "resist temptation" in making such an "insinuation".

"In our view it does not behove a person occupying such a high office to make such a comment," he said.

While attending the birthday bash for party leader and Union Minister for Human Resource Development M M Joshi, Vajpayee criticised Opposition for accusing Joshi of saffronising education, and in his characteristic wit, said Joshi, being a saffronite, a colour denoting "ahuti, balidaan", cannot be expected to "green" the system.

PTI