Bengaluru: Fearing backlash by two of the most dominant communities — Vokkaligas and Lingayats — regarding the row over actions of Rohith Chakrathirtha headed Textbooks Revision Committee, the State Government on Friday dissolved the Committee in a bid to end the raging controversy over school textbooks revision.

CM Basavaraj Bommai, who presided over a meeting at Bengaluru to discuss the row, issued the order scrapping the Committee, late yesterday evening. The decision is seen as the ruling BJP’s efforts to neutralise the threat of backlash from the two powerful communities.

Last week, alarm bells rang in the BJP when Adichunchanagiri Seer Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji of Vokkaliga community wrote to CM Bommai seeking action against those who affronted Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, whose State Anthem (Nadageethe) was distastefully recast to mock the Congress. Textbooks Revision Committee Chairman Rohith Chakrathirtha had made a social media post about this in 2017, which had gone viral. 

On Friday, Tumakuru Siddaganga Mutt’s Siddalinga Swamiji had spoken out against distorting textbook content, especially those concerning on 12th century social reformer Basavanna.