Debate on Vande Mataram govt's ploy to keep focus away from critical issues: Sanjay Singh

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) The debate on Vande Mataram is just a ploy of the BJP-led government to keep focus away from critical issues like unemployment and price rise, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Participating in a discussion on the '150 years of national song Vande Mataram' in the upper house, Singh said 'Vande Mataram' alludes to the respect for the motherland, and the BJP is just doing the opposite as it is trying to hide its failures in the garb of nationalism.

"The government is just trying to hide its failures and crimes behind the sloganeering," he said.

He further said that the worship of the motherland is not possible when national assets like airports, railways and seaports are being sold away.

Singh alleged that the RSS did not participate in the freedom struggle, and asked the treasury benches if any of their leaders went to jail during the period when lakhs of people suffered at the hands of the British.

Speaking about the Special Intensive Revision, he said that under the electoral roll revision exercise, 3 crore votes will be cut in Uttar Pradesh alone.

Around 17.5 per cent of votes in the state will be cut as part of the exercise, he claimed.

Singh said that the votes of over 80 lakh people were cut in Bihar under the SIR initiative.

"We will not allow any government in this country to plunder in the name of slogans like Vande Matarma and Bharat Mata ki Jay," Singh said.

The government does not want to discuss matters like unemployment, price rise, he said.

Blaming the policies of the government, he said the country is currently under a debt of over Rs 200 lakh crore.

He also attacked the Delhi government over the issue of air and water pollution.

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) member H D Devegowda said Vande Mataram has inspired many generations of Indians.

He suggested that to celebrate the 150 years, the song should be recorded in 150 different ways to pay a tribute to the freedom fighters. PTI MSS HVA