PATNA, July 21 -- A political row erupted in Bihar over the state government's purported move to paint 551 newly-inaugurated Saraswati Vidya Niketan (model schools) saffron. Opposition parties like RJD and AIMIM called it an attempt to "saffronise" the schools but the ruling BJP and JD(U) defended the move and labelled the Opposition objections "totally baseless." Chief minister Samrat Choudhary inaugurated 551 model schools on Sunday. According to sources in the education department cited in agency reports, officials have been directed to paint all Saraswati Vidya Niketan schools saffron instead of conventional colours such as pink, sky blue or yellow. Though an official comment could not be obtained from the education minister Mithilesh Tiwary told reporters that saffron is a favourite colour of goddess Saraswati and there should not be any controversy over it. "Saffron is a colour dear to goddess Saraswati and schools are being painted in that colour. There should not be any controversy over this. We should not create a wedge based on colours. Today, we have made high-tech educational arrangements for children, irrespective of their faith. This, however, doesn't sit well with the Opposition. But they should remain assured that we will not allow the return of Charwaha Vidyalaya," he said. Charwaha Vidyalaya was a characteristic feature of the erstwhile RJD government, which later faced criticism for lagging in the education sector. However, opposition AIMIM state chief and MLA from Amour, Akhtarul Iman, alleged the BJP-led government was trying to promote a particular religion using taxpayers' money. "This government is not only saffronising schools but the entire nation. It is demolishing mosques and igniting animosity among people in the name of mosques and temples. It has led to the disrobing of democracy," he told reporters outside the Assembly. Iman also said that the government should focus on quality of education in schools by improving teacher-student ratio and infrastructure instead of indulging in such politics. "Schools are for everybody and not an institution of any party. This is gross misuse of administrative resources to gain publicity," he added. RJD's senior leader and MLC Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that there is already a well-planned agenda to saffronise the education system and also re-write history. "But those trying to saffronise the education system should know that India's pluralistic society and inclusiveness have remained the bedrock of our democracy and any attempt to dilute it will fail. People are watching the way things are unfolding but it will not continue long," Siddiqui said. Another RJD leader and state spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan also said that the decision to paint model schools saffron is nothing but a big blow the secular fabric of the nation. "The state government has deliberately omitted the names of many luminaries from the schools and has rechristened them as Saraswati Vidya Niketans. This is wrong because many families donated land for government schools and there was an assurance that these schools would be named after those people. But now everything is being changed. What is the point of painting the schools saffron?" Gagan asked. Meanwhile, food and consumer protection minister and senior JD(U) leader Ashok Choudhary defended the move and said that the Opposition should focus on whether the quality of education had improved during the NDA's two decades in power instead of raising objections over the colour of school buildings. Echoing the same view, JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar said that the government believes in "politics of development" and not in "politics of colour." "More than 500 model schools were opened in Bihar, which aligns with Nitish Kumar's agenda. More schools will be opened in the future. This is a good move, but if anyone is fixated on colour controversy, then this is not a good thing," he said. JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said education should not be linked to colours while backing the Centre's handling of the NEET issue. On Sunday, CM Samrat Choudhary inaugurated 551 Saraswati Vidya Niketan model schools across the state, saying that his government's goal is to ensure every child has access to technology-enabled and value-based education. The CM virtually inaugurated the schools from a function in Begusarai and described the initiative as a historic milestone. Addressing the gathering, Choudhary said that education is the greatest strength of a developed society and asserted that the state government was carrying out comprehensive reforms to transform school education. "Our objective is to create a learning environment where every child has access to modern, high-quality, technology-enabled and value-based education," he said. Choudhary also said the government was upgrading state-run schools to provide an academic environment comparable to private institutions, ensuring equal educational opportunities for children from rural and economically weaker sections....