Constitution framers made it matter of choice: Akhilesh on singing 'Vande Mataram'

Lucknow, Nov 10 (PTI) Hitting out at the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to make singing “Vande Mataram” compulsory in all schools and educational institutions, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said patriotism cannot be imposed as the Constitution guarantees freedom of choice.

Responding to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's announcement, Yadav said, "If I want to offer someone a laddoo and they say they prefer cake, can I forcefully put the laddoo in their mouth? What kind of logic is that?" He said people fought the British because they wanted freedom and their own constitution. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar framed that Constitution, and the debates at that time were thorough; that is why a national anthem and a national song were adopted.

“If singing either was to be mandatory, why was it not made compulsory then? The makers of the Constitution left that as a matter of choice," Yadav said at a press conference here.

Debate over India’s national song rekindled last week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after inaugurating the year-long commemoration of 150 years of “Vande Mataram” that dropping key stanzas in 1937 had "sown the seeds of Partition".

Such a "divisive mindset" remained a challenge for the country, he said in remarks seen as an attack on the Congress.

The SP chief also pointed out that even BJP leaders have not always stood up to sing the national song or anthem when asked to do so in the Parliament.

Recalling his own school days, he said, "I studied at the (Dholpur) Military School, where both the national song and anthem were sung regularly during morning prayers. So, I have grown up with that tradition." Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, Yadav alleged that the government was driven by sentiment rather than substance. "They are running the government on emotions. Every day, they find a new emotion to exploit," he said.

Yadav’s press conference concluded with the national anthem (Jana Gana Man).

A Samajwadi Party MP from Chandauli, Virendra Singh, also criticised the decision, alleging that such moves deepen social divisions.

"He (Yogi Adityanath) is the chief minister and can do anything. He will do everything by which society gets divided into two parts," Singh told mediapersons in Varanasi.

Muslims were not opposing "Vande Mataram" but were constrained by their religious beliefs, he said. "There is no provision for idol worship in Islam. When their faith does not allow the singing of Vande Mataram, how can they be forced? Faith moves people, not force," he added.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, earlier in the day, announced at a public event in Gorakhpur that singing the "Vande Mataram" would be made compulsory in all schools and educational institutions in the state, saying it would inspire reverence and pride towards the motherland. PTI COR NAV KIS OZ OZ