Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar recently claimed that Vasco da Gama did not discover the sea route to India but merely followed an Indian sea merchant named Chandan from Gujarat. Speaking at a convocation ceremony at Barkatullah University in Bhopal, Parmar also asserted that the real discoverer of America was an Indian sailor named Vasulun, not Christopher Columbus.

Parmar criticized the historical narrative taught in schools, stating that it misrepresents India's historical achievements. He argued that Vasco da Gama's autobiography reveals that he followed Chandan, whose ship was significantly larger than da Gama's. He also criticized the portrayal of Columbus as the discoverer of America, suggesting that Indian sailors reached the Americas in the 8th century and made significant contributions there.

Further, Parmar claimed that archaeological findings in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch indicate the existence of ancient sports stadiums, predating the first Olympic Games by thousands of years. He emphasized that the New Education Policy should correct these historical inaccuracies and promote a more accurate representation of India's past.