First 5 Edu Ministers From ‘One Community’? Sushil Modi is Wrong

Sushil Kumar Modi claimed that the first five education ministers of India belonged to “one community.”

(Photo: The Quint)

Rajya Sabha MP and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday, 3 March, took to Twitter to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and claimed that the first five education ministers of India belonged to only “one community.”

However, his claim is false because according to Government of India records, India’s second education minister was Dr KL Shrimali – a Hindu – who held the post for two consecutive terms.

CLAIM

In his tweet, Modi wrote, “Rahul Gandhi should explain why the first five education ministers of the country belonged to only one community? Will Congress apologise for distorting the history of India and denying the existence of Lord Ram?”

An archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

Similar claims were then made by other users on both Twitter and Facebook.

An archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

An archived link of the post can be accessed here.(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

WHAT WE FOUND

According to a list on the website of Education Minister of India, India’s first five education ministers were:

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1947-1958)
• Dr KL Shrimali (1958-1962)
• Dr KL Shrimali (1962-1963)
• Humayun Kabir (September 1963-November 1963)
• MC Chagla (1963-1966)

(Source: Government of India)

Clearly, not all of them belong to the same community. India’s second education minister, Dr KL Shrimali was a Hindu. He also held the post for two consecutive terms from 1958 to 1963.

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