New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The political debate over the proposed Vande Mataram Bill intensified after AIMIM raised objections over making the song’s recitation mandatory, with Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Ashutosh Verma accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of repeatedly bringing up issues linked to public sentiments and targeting a particular community.
Speaking on the controversy, Verma said, “This has repeatedly become a matter of debate: What the guidelines for Vande Mataram should be. When the makers of the Constitution referred to Vande Mataram and the National Anthem, they treated them differently and framed separate provisions.”
He added, “I believe the Bharatiya Janata Party links this entire Bill and Vande Mataram with the country’s unity and integrity, but its real target is a particular community that may not say Vande Mataram. Why does the BJP repeatedly bring up such issues that hurt people’s sentiments?”
Verma further said that the guidelines established when Vande Mataram was accorded the status of the National Song should be taken into account.
“When Vande Mataram was given the status of the National Song, certain guidelines were laid down, and those should also be considered…” he said.
Meanwhile, responding to remarks by AIMIM National Spokesperson Waris Pathan on the proposed legislation, SP leader Udaiveer Singh said the issue should be viewed in its full context.
“It will be known only after understanding the full context in which he made that statement and what his concern is. But as far as the National Song and the National Anthem are concerned, the existing provisions and the views laid down by the makers of the Constitution have been followed, and the country continues to function accordingly,” Singh said.
Earlier this week, Waris Pathan had said that the AIMIM respects and honours Vande Mataram but opposed making its recitation compulsory. He said, “The Bill has been introduced, and now we will see what happens when it is discussed. But our position has always been clear, and I have always maintained this, we respect and honour Vande Mataram. However, there are certain lines in it that a Muslim cannot recite…”
Pathan argued that the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, remains the country’s official anthem and said it is recited by Indian Muslims with pride. He added that the Supreme Court had clarified that Vande Mataram is not mandatory, citing constitutional provisions under Article 51A.
The debate has once again brought the distinction between India’s National Song and National Anthem into focus, with political parties divided over the proposed legislation and its implications.
–IANS
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