Overview
- Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyaya, who clarified Monday, said he objects to rhymes that he believes teach lying or disrespect to elders and not to the English language.
- The dispute began May 6 in Kanpur when he told shiksha mitras, or para teachers, that 'Johnny Johnny Yes Papa' encourages children to lie and urged value-based teaching in the guru–shishya tradition.
- At a City Montessori School event in Lucknow on Saturday, he called 'Rain, Rain Go Away' a selfish message and said it should be removed from textbooks.
- He framed his stance as aligned with 'Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay' and argued that wishing away rain ignores how monsoons sustain farms and water supplies in India.
- Opposition figures from the Samajwadi Party and Congress mocked the focus on nursery rhymes and accused the government of dodging issues like exam paper leaks, and no official syllabus change has been announced.