NEW DELHI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A textbook taught in a number of Indian schools showing an image of mosque as source of noise pollution has stoked a controversy.
The science textbook of Class 6 at Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) schools in its chapter on noise pollution has included picture of mosque as one of the sources alongside aeroplane, train and cars.
A man in the foreground of the image is seen covering his ears and grimacing.
The issue has sparked an outrage on social media demanding the textbook be withdrawn from syllabus.
Meanwhile, the publisher of the textbook, Selina Publishers, has tendered an apology and said the picture would not be repeated in subsequent editions.
"We do apologize if it has hurt the sentiments of anyone," Hemant Gupta of Selina publishers said in a statement.
The ICSE, however, said the board did not publish or prescribe these textbooks, and it is up to the schools to deal with the issue.
Earlier, a Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam triggered a controversy saying he was woken up by the sound of early morning prayer call from mosques and termed the use of loudspeakers in mosques as "forced religiousness."
