Bhubaneswar: The opposition BJD’s youth and students’ wings have threatened to gherao the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond over errors in school textbooks.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Biju Yuva Janata Dal state president Chinmay Sahu and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal state president Ipsita Sahu criticised the state government for allegedly failing to provide error-free textbooks even four months after the mistakes were detected.
“”If school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond does not resign, the Yuva and Chhatra BJD will sit on an indefinite day-and-night dharna in front of the Assembly on by 22 September. We appeal to youth and students from across the state to participate in the agitation,” Chinmay Sahu said.
ଗଣଶିକ୍ଷା ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀଙ୍କ ଇସ୍ତଫା ଏବଂ ବିପର୍ଯ୍ୟସ୍ତ ଶିକ୍ଷା ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥା ସୁଧାର ଦାବିରେ ବିଧାନସଭା ଘେରାଉ କରିବ ବିଜେଡି।
ପିଲାଙ୍କୁ ମିଳିଲା ନାହିଁ ତ୍ରୁଟିଶୂନ୍ୟ ପୁସ୍ତକ, ସବୁ ଜାଣି ଆଖି ବୁଜି ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ରାଜ୍ୟ ସରକାର।
ପୁସ୍ତକ ପ୍ରକାଶନରେ ୩୮୦ କୋଟି ଟଙ୍କାର ଦୁର୍ନୀତି, ପିଲାଙ୍କୁ ଅପାଠୁଆ କରିବାକୁ କରାଯାଇଛି ଯୋଜନା।
ପୂର୍ବତନ… pic.twitter.com/0YpQuMb1YM
— Biju Janata Dal (@bjd_odisha) September 20, 2026
The two BJD functionaries said the textbooks prescribed for students from Classes I to VIII contained serious errors, but the state government has not withdrawn them. With examinations due to be held within the next few days, they questioned how students could prepare using textbooks containing mistakes.
The BJD alleged that despite being aware of the errors, the state government distributed textbooks containing numerous mistakes among students. It further alleged that the tender for publishing the new textbooks was awarded to an influential BJP leader associated with the Central government.
“There has been a Rs 380 crore scam in the publication of textbooks. The concerned minister, Nityananda Gond, is also involved in this corruption,” Ipsita Sahu alleged.
Gond, however, said the state government was taking steps to ensure that error-free textbooks were distributed soon. Proofreading of the books is currently underway, the minister said, adding that the government was closely monitoring the process and making arrangements to provide corrected textbooks at the earliest.