Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi has turned down an invitation from Mumbai BJP unit president Ameet Satam to join a mass recital of Vande Mataram near his residence, stating that “Muslims cannot recite the song because some verses are tied to worship and prayer.”
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Event Part of 150 Years of Vande Mataram Celebrations
Satam had invited Azmi via a post on X for the event scheduled on Friday, as part of the Maharashtra government’s weeklong celebrations marking 150 years of Vande Mataram. In his post, Satam said the song symbolizes “nationalism, unity and inspiration.”
[img=1px,1px]https://data.indianexpress.com/election2019/track_1x1.jpg[/img]Responding to the invitation, Azmi thanked Satam but maintained that reciting the song was against his faith. “Just as you cannot join me in offering namaz, I cannot sing Vande Mataram. The Supreme Court has clarified that compelling any person to sing the national song violates their fundamental right to freedom of religion and conscience,” Azmi wrote. He added that the court had also dismissed a petition seeking statutory protection for Vande Mataram similar to the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
‘Don’t Use Vande Mataram for Political Gains,’ Says Azmi
Azmi said his party had always respected the national song and anthem. “Whenever Vande Mataram is sung in the Assembly, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you and show full respect. We sing Jana Gana Mana along with you, but you will not tell the public that a Muslim cannot sing Vande Mataram. Instead, you brand them as ‘anti-national’. This is extremely condemnable and petty politics,” he said.
He accused the BJP of using nationalism to polarize voters ahead of the Mumbai civic elections. “You want Muslims to sing Vande Mataram. You do not want a mayor with the surname ‘Khan’. You want to send those who read the Quran to Pakistan, and you label them as traitors,” Azmi said, adding that it was “unfortunate” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was “silently watching” such politics.
Directive for Schools Triggers Controversy
Azmi, who represents the Mankhurd-Shivajinagar constituency, also criticized the Maharashtra government’s directive mandating all schools to sing the complete version of Vande Mataram from October 31 to November 7. Reacting to the order, he said making the recital compulsory was “not appropriate.”
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“Islam gives importance to respecting one’s mother, but it does not permit prostrating before her,” Azmi said, adding that Vande Mataram should not be used “as a tool for political gains because power never lasts forever.” |
