Kasaragod: The Savarkar Quiz Row in Kasaragod has snowballed into a major political confrontation after the BJP alleged that police used force against its leaders and workers protesting the suspension of a schoolteacher over a quiz question on Hindutva ideologue and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.
The BJP has strongly condemned the alleged police action, calling it an attack on democratic dissent and questioning why a peaceful protest over the suspension of a teacher had to be met with force.
The controversy began after a question in the Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026, conducted on August 6 in schools under the Kumbla and Manjeshwar sub-districts, identified Savarkar as the freedom fighter who received the “maximum punishment” at the hands of the British.
The question triggered a political storm in Keralam, with Left organisations criticising the inclusion of Savarkar and accusing the Congress-led UDF government of allowing what they called a “Sangh Parivar agenda” to enter the education system.
The General Education Department subsequently ordered the suspension of Guru Prasad, a teacher at Aided Upper Primary School, Pallathadkaa, in Kasaragod. Officials said the teacher had led the team that prepared the question paper. Following an inquiry, disciplinary proceedings were also ordered under the Keralam Education Rules.
The BJP has questioned the government’s decision and accused it of punishing a teacher over a question rooted in a historical interpretation.
BJP leader K. Surendran defended the teacher and argued that Savarkar’s long imprisonment under British rule is an established historical fact. The BJP has promised legal and organisational support to Guru Prasad and vowed to challenge what it sees as politically motivated action.
The dispute escalated when BJP leaders and workers took to the streets to protest against the government’s decision and demand justice for the suspended teacher. Police confronted the protesters and allegedly used force against Kasaragod district president M.L. Ashwini, district general secretary P.R. Sunil and Yuva Morcha district president K. Ashwin.
The BJP has particularly raised serious objections over the alleged treatment of women protesters. The party claimed that women leaders, including Ashwini, were subjected to police action without adequate deployment of women police personnel.
The BJP described the alleged incident as an assault on democratic etiquette and questioned whether peaceful political dissent is being increasingly treated as a law-and-order problem in Keralam.
The BJP has accused the UDF government of following a path similar to the LDF when dealing with Opposition protests, arguing that political differences should not determine how democratic rights are exercised.
The BJP also hit out at what it calls the growing politicisation of historical narratives in Keralam’s education system. Savarkar’s role in India’s freedom struggle cannot simply be erased because of contemporary political disagreements with his ideology.
