`Sadhana’ will not be withdrawn — Gujarat Minister

GANDHINAGAR, JAN 21: Gujarat Education Minister Anandiben Patel, a known BJP hardliner, on Saturday sought to ratify Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel’s statement that the controversial circular to all state schools to subscribe to the Sadhana magazine, a RSS mouth-piece, would not be withdrawn, on the plea that “the controversy raging over it is politically-motivated”.

In a statement here, the state Education Minister justified the circular issued by the State Commissionerate of Schools, saying, “My department has not shown any special favour to Sadhanabeing published from Ahmedabad, and it is not mandatory for schools to subscribe to the magazine as is being made out by the various Christian missionary schools and political parties”.

There are many publishing houses which regularly approach the Education Department, requesting it to make grantable their respective periodicals and magazines and include them in the list of publications being purchased by schools. And, the department issues a circular for this, keeping in view the utility of such magazines for the “character-building” of the students, she said.

The Chief Minister had earlier justified the circular and asserted that it would not be withdrawn as “there is nothing unusual about it”. He had also sought to clarify that Sadhana was being run by the RSS, but was not a BJP mouth-piece.