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The Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Uttar Pradesh faced some embarrassing moments in the state assembly on Tuesday when one of its own members alleged that freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad was being referred to as a terrorist in Class VIII history books.
Laxmi Kant Vajpayee of the BJP during the question hour said the book, published in 1980, was littered with factual and typographical errors.
Giving an example, he said the book still cited the minimum voting age as 21.
Minister for Basic Education Chandra Kishore, however, said the mistakes were being rectified and the updated version of the book would be available from the next academic session in July.
On Chandra Shekhar Azad's description as member of a terrorist organisation, Kishore said the references to the freedom fighter in the book had been misinterpreted.
The minister's remarks drew criticism from the Opposition, especially the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist, whose members staged a walkout.
PTI
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