Karnataka government stirred controversy from the Opposition after it said the state has decided to paint its government schools in ‘saffron’ colour.
On Monday, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, along with education minister BC Nagesh, launched the ‘Viveka’ scheme on the occasion of Children’s Day in Kalaburagi and said thousands of school classrooms will be constructed under the scheme which will be painted saffron in colour, a move which he defended.
The BJP-led government is planning to construct over 10,000 classrooms in government schools across the state, named after Swami Vivekananda at a cost of ₹992 crore.
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Bommai, speaking after garlanding the statue of former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in front of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday, asked the Opposition not to politicise everything.
“There is saffron colour in our national flag. Why are they angry about it? The school buildings are constructed in the name of Swami Vivekananda. Vivekananda was a monk..he wore saffron robes. The word Viveka means knowledge for one and all. Let them learn,” Bommai said.
The education minister too defended the move saying that it is based on the architect’s recommendations.
“Is something wrong with it? Isn’t saffron a colour? If architects suggest saffron colour, we will paint it. The government will not decide how windows, doors and steps should be. We have architects with us and we will decide based on their recommendations,” Nagesh said.
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Hitting out Karnataka government’s decision, the Congress demanded classrooms and school infrastructure be painted in the colours of the national flag.
State’s communications chief Priyank Kharge, said, “Why only saffron? You claim to be the most nationalistic party in independent India so paint it in tri-colour. What is your excuse? Are govt and education departments being run by architects now?”
Reacting to the criticism Nagesh said, “Some people are allergic to saffron. Even in their (Congress) flag colour is saffron, why they have kept it? Instead, remove it and make it green completely.”
