New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS): The Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday slammed the government over the CBSE Class 10 English question paper and described it as 'extremely poor' standards of education and testing.

Raising this issue during the 'Zero Hour', she said that a 'shockingly regressive passage' on the women published in the Class 10 CBSE Examination held on December 11 was derogatory and regressive for women. She asked the CBSE to withdraw the question and tender an apology.

Quoting the text of the passage of the question paper in the House, she said, "Entire passage is riddled with such condemnable ideas and the questions that follow are equally nonsensical." She strongly objected to such 'blatantly misogynistic material'.

The question paper for the English examination conducted on December 11 had a comprehension passage with sentences that read "emancipation of women destroyed the parent's authority over the children" and "it was only by accepting her husband's way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones," among others.

Seeking an apology from the CBSE, Sonia Gandhi also said that this passage reflects 'extremely poorly on standards on education and testing' and urged the Ministry of Education to immediately withdraw the question.

Earlier, the Congress party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also objected to the Class 10 CBSE English question paper and accused the BJP government of endorsing these retrograde views on women.