Monday, August 22 2005 15:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha was thrown into a turmoil during Question Hour today (August 22, 2005) over reference to a text book which described spirtual saint Ramakrishna Paramhans as "mentally deranged".

Angry BJP members accused Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh of not being sensitive to their sentiments while replying to their queries on the issue.

Trouble arose when BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Singh whether some text books had depicted Lord Ram and Lord Krishna as fictional characters and Paramhans as mentally deranged.

"I would have definitely shared the member's feelings (regarding references to Ram and Krishna) if it was true. The fact is that no such reference was made. So far as Ramakrishna Paramhans was concerned, unfortunately that kind of description was made in a text book last year. It has since been removed," Singh said.

Contending that the minister had not used the right language while replying on such a sensitive matter, some BJP members threatened to move to the Well of the House. The treasury benches denied the charges levelled by BJP members.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat assured the agitated members that if there was any unparliamentary language used by the minister he would get it expunged.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad asked S.S. Ahluwalia (BJP) and others to state the objectionable portions of the Minister's reply. "We have not heard what the minister has said. What don't you tell us."

The ten minute hold up in proceedings finally ended when Shekhawat reiterated that he would check the records of Singh's reply and remove the unparliamentary portions, if any.

In reply to the main Question, Singh said no demand has been received from states for shifting of "Education" from the Concurrent list to the State List.

He assured members that the government recognised the diverse social cultural ethos of the country.

The Minister said, keeping this in view, the draft National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE), 2005, prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) reflects this concern.

He said the Central Advisory Board of Education is yet to give its final clearance on the draft NCFSE.

In reply to another query, the Minister said provision of free and compulsory education to children of 6-14 years is a constitutional mandate.