Mysuru, May 25 (IANS): Karnataka Education Minister B.C. Nagesh while commenting on the textbook row said on Wednesday that everything relating to the syllabus was being changed.

"Since early years, syllabus designed by Britishers was taught in schools. After assuming power, yes, we have included nationalism in the syllabus," he said.

"Everything was done as per the instructions of America earlier in the country. After Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister everything changed. Change is the rule of the world," he said.

Commenting on Dalit writer and activist Devanur Mahadeva's letter to the government to drop his lesson from the textbook, Minister Nagesh said the printing of books has been completed. At this stage it is not possible to drop his lesson.

"If he had conveyed his decision earlier, it could have been discussed. The textbook is about to reach the children, we can't take any decision now," he reiterated.

"We will convince Devanur Mahadeva about the issue. He might have ideological differences, we don't have them," he said.

"Unlike the Congress, the BJP has not pursued vote bank politics. BJP has done pro-people politics. We have done what is best for the country. After all the controversies, now people are talking about 'Chaturvarna'," he said.

He maintained that he has not got any letter from Devanur Mahadeva yet. "Our's is not the 'only culture'. We pursue 'all of us' culture. All good things are included in the syllabus," he explained.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President Narayan Gowda has said that the ruling BJP government in the state should distribute old textbooks and keep the revised textbooks in abeyance.

He also demanded termination of the Textbook Revision Committee and slammed the government for nominating Rohith Chakrathirtha as the Chairperson of the committee. He also demanded that the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should immediately intervene and resolve the issue.