Congress labels HRD Ministry's circular turning Teachers' Day into Gurutsav as an attempt to saffronise education

The Congress Party on Thursday scoffed at the apparent effort made by the Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry of turning Teachers' Day into Gurutsav, describing it as an attempt to saffronise the education system.

"The Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry is trying to saffronise the education system. This is nothing but a gimmick instead they should look into bringing about a change in the teacher's life for the better and look into empowering them," Congress leader Shobha Oza told ANI here.

Pointing towards manhandling by a ABVP mob which ultimately resulted in Professor Harbhajan Singh Sabharwal's death, Oza said, "The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is not treating the teachers with respect. They should teach the ABVP people to behave in a constitutional manner. The focus must be instead on those who had beaten Professor Sabharwal."

According to media reports, a circular issued by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (HRD), issued for Dr Radhakrishnan's 126th birth anniversary, omits the term Teachers' Day and instead terms it as Gurutsav.