by Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 21: A Hindu right wing organization has claimed the support of four candidates contesting from North Goa Lok Sabha seat in their agitation demanding to ban the controversial National Council for Educational Research and training (NCERT) text book.
 
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is agitating against the seventh standard history textbook, which, according to them, have glorified muslim invaders while ignoring great Maratha worrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
 
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be accorded due status in the Std. VII History textbook published by the N.C.E.R.T. This view was expressed by Shripad Naik (BJP), Jitendra Deshprabhu (NCP), Pandurang Raut (MGP) and Upendra Gaonkar (Shivsena) contesting from the North Goa Constituency,” HJS convenor Jayesh Thali said in a statement here.
 
He said that Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) had furnished a memorandum to all candidates contesting for the elections to clarify their party’s stand on issues like idol desecration incidents occurring in the State, N.C.E.R.T.’s controversial Std. VII History textbook, ban on T-shirts having pictures of Hindu deities and curbing the denigration of deities taking place through movies like ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
 
The HJS claimed that  Shripad Naik said that if he is elected he will look into the matter of T-shirts having pictures of Hindu deities and take steps to stop their sale.
 
Similarly, Shivsena candidate Upendra Gaonkar, who had strongly protested against the denigrating movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ said that important issues such as stopping the denigration of deities and withdrawal of N.C.E.R.T.’s Std. VII controversial History textbook have been included in the party’s election manifesto. 
 
The HJS has been holding demonstrations in the state demanding ban on the book and also had started drive against the T shirts with Hindu religious symbols or deities printed on them.