UP Education Minister Says ‘Johnny Johnny Yes Papa’ And 'Rain Rain Go Away' Encourage Children to Lie, Asks 'What Are We Teaching Them?’
10 May 2026 | The Economic Times
Uttar Pradesh Minister for Higher Education and Science and Technology Yogendra Upadhyay has courted a controversy over his statement that two popular nursery rhymes ‘Johnny Johnny Yes Papa’ and ‘Rain Rain Go Away’, are against Indian culture and values. Upadhyay claimed that these rhymes teach children to lie and promote selfishness.
“What does this rhyme teach (us) — Johnny Johnny Yes Papa, Eating Sugar No Papa, Telling Lies No Papa, Open Your Mouth Ha Ha Ha. These lines teach children to tell lies. No one ever thought about how this rhyme imparts wrong lessons to young children," the minister said while addressing students and teachers of a prominent private school in Lucknow…