Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar has ignited a controversy with his recent comments regarding Mughal emperor Akbar, labeling him as “a rapist” and advocating for the removal of references to him as a “great personality” from school textbooks.

Addressing reporters in Balotra, Dilawar asserted, “Akbar was never a great personality. He was an aggressor and a rapist. He used to call girls from bazaars and rape them. Calling such a man a great personality is stupidity,” as reported by news agency PTI.

Dilawar’s remarks surfaced amidst ongoing debates over alterations to school textbooks. Known for his staunch Hindu views, the state Education Minister emphasized the need to rectify what he perceives as misleading information in educational materials. “There is a lot of misleading information included about our ancestors such as Veer Savarkar and Shivaji. Those statements will be fixed,” he stated during a recent press conference.

Furthermore, Dilawar addressed the implementation of ‘Surya Namaskar’ (Sun Salutation) in Rajasthan schools, indicating that the initiative is underway and will soon be regularized across all educational institutions. “It has begun. In a few days, ‘Surya Namaskar’ will become regular in all the schools,” he affirmed.

Regarding the transfer of teachers, Dilawar clarified that the process will commence once ongoing exams conclude. “Once the exams are over, we will begin the process of transfer,” he added.