SRINAGAR: Private schools of Jammu and Kashmir have demanded removal of blasphemous content from two text books of Urdu for classes three and five. An experts’ committee formed by the association of these schools had found the material in those two textbooks objectionable from the Islamic point of view.

Chairman of the committee Khurshid Bismil urged that ICSE Indian Certificate of Secondary Education should check the background of publisher and author before seeking approval of respective committees of academics and experts. He said before introducing new content in the syllabus, it should be ensured that blasphemous content against any religion or religious personality should not be published. A spokesman for the Private School Association of Jammu and Kashmir acknowledged that the deputy commissioner has taken steps to immediately lodge FIR against the publisher and the author of the two textbooks.

The committee also demanded of the government hold a meeting of academics committee meeting to make the strategy because new syllabus will be introduced in textbooks. The experts committee also demands to schools’ administration to discard every book of the alleged author.

The committee also urged the government that local authors should be encouraged to write textbooks rather than those who live outside the territory.