GUWAHATI: Opposition Congress in Manipur fumed as students appearing in the Class 12 state board examination were asked to draw the election symbol of ruling BJP and analyse the negative traits of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s approach to nation-building in their exam held on Saturday.
The two questions, which carried four marks each and were set in the political science question paper, have since gone viral on social media, drawing criticism from some quarters.
The question on Nehru was: “Examine any four negative traits of Nehru’s approach to nation-building”.
The BJP pleaded innocence saying it had no role in setting the questions and asked the critics to approach the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur which conducted the exam.
Ningombam Bupenda Meitei, a spokesman of the Congress, condemned the alleged negative portrayal of Nehru.
“I condemn the mindset of the BJP government in Manipur under whose rule the questions of political science were set for Class 12 board examination. This is nothing but an attack on the first Prime Minister and architect of modern India,” he said.
He also tweeted: “The way the two questions were framed for board examination paper clearly shows the mindset of the BJP government in spewing venom and injecting poison in the young minds. The act, aimed at tarnishing Nehru, would only make Nehru’s ideology stronger”.
Express tried to contact the controller of examinations but he did not answer any calls. Further, the phone of the board’s secretary was found switched off.