Bihar Govt's Plan To Repaint Schools In Saffron Triggers Row: 'Politics Of Colour, Not Development'

Last Updated:July 21, 2026, 09:08 IST

Under the plan, the buildings will be painted in a shade identified by the education department as "Sunrise" (colour code 0526), while doors will be painted gold brown.

A political controversy erupted in Bihar after the BJP-led NDA government decided to repaint 551 newly inaugurated model schools in saffron and rename them “Saraswati Vidya Niketan", drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties and sparking debate within the ruling alliance.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday inaugurated the schools in Begusarai as part of the state’s model school initiative. Under the plan, the buildings will be painted in a shade identified by the education department as “Sunrise" (colour code 0526), while doors will be painted gold brown. Officials said the specifications will apply uniformly to all 551 schools covered under the scheme.

At BP Intermediate School in Begusarai, one of the institutions included in the project, principal Kamini Kumari said the repainting was carried out in accordance with directions issued by the education department.

The move triggered a political storm, with opposition leaders accusing the government of attempting to promote a particular political and religious identity through public educational institutions.

RJD MLA Bhai Virendra said his party opposed the decision to paint government schools saffron. AIMIM’s Bihar president Akhtarul Iman described the move as an attempt at “saffronisation", alleging that public funds were being used to advance a particular religious agenda. He argued that such measures could undermine social harmony and democratic values.

Adding to the criticism, RJD MLC Qari Sohaib accused the government of diverting attention from more pressing issues.

“This government is against education. They do such acts so that people question such topics and do not ask questions on relevant issues," he said.

The state government, however, rejected the allegations and defended the initiative, arguing that the focus should remain on educational development rather than the colour of school buildings.

Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said colours should not become a source of political division and stressed that the government had invested in modern educational infrastructure for children from all communities. He added that saffron symbolised Goddess Saraswati and prosperity, while maintaining that improving the quality of education remained the government’s primary objective.

Bihar Higher Education Minister Sanjay Tiger also criticised attempts to politicise the issue, saying educational reforms should be judged on their merits rather than through a political lens.

The controversy has also prompted reactions from within the NDA. JD(U), the BJP’s coalition partner led by former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, sought to distance itself from the debate over colours.

Senior JD(U) leader and Food and Consumer Protection Minister Ashok Choudhary said the opposition should focus on whether educational standards had improved under the NDA government. JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar said the alliance believed in the “politics of development" rather than the “politics of colour", describing the opening of more than 500 model schools as a significant achievement.

LJP (Ram Vilas) MLC Ashraf Ansari also backed the government’s position, saying the key issue was the establishment of new schools rather than their colour.

“The decision was not about changing schools; it was about opening schools. The government is concerned about development and is working for it. The opposition has no issues left, so now it is talking about colours," he said.

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