HRD urges DU to reconsider use of book calling Bhagat Singh revolutionary terrorist

In a letter written to Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry on 28 April has urged the varsity to reconsider its step of using the history textbook that refers to Bhagat Singh as a "revolutionary terrorist".

Keeping in view that all the central universities have complete autonomy when it comes to academic decisions, the ministry has said that its letter has been "advisory" in nature.

The reports of DU using the history textbook India's Struggle for Independence (1757-1858) authored by historians Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee, KN Panikkar and Sucheta Majahan had earlier sparked controversy as Opposition looked towards cornering BJP over the same.

Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani on 28 April assured that the mistake would be rectified.

Bhagat Singh's nephew Abhey Singh Sandhu met the DU VC on Wednesday and demanded that the book be banned from the curriculum. "The Britishers, who hanged Bhagat Singh, described him as a 'true revolutionary'. Even they didn't use words like terror or terrorism. Using such words for revolutionaries in an attempt to stir controversy is very unfortunate," Sandhu said.