Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced that singing Vande Mataram will be made mandatory in all schools and educational institutions across the state.
Addressing the 'Ekta Yatra' and Vande Mataram singing event in Gorakhpur, CM Yogi said, "There should be a sense of respect for the national song Vande Mataram... We will make its singing compulsory in every school and educational institution of Uttar Pradesh so that a sense of reverence and respect is invoked in everyone towards Bharat Mata and Matrubhoomi."
The Chief Minister also mentioned that from 1896 to 1922, Vande Mataram was sung at every Congress session, but in 1923, when Mohammad Ali Jauhar became the Congress president, he walked out as soon as the song began and refused to participate.
"That opposition to Vande Mataram became one of the unfortunate causes of India's Partition," he said.
"If the Congress had respected India's nationalism through Vande Mataram by removing Mohammad Ali Jauhar from the post of party president at that time, the Partition might not have happened," he added.
CM Yogi also called out the Opposition, stating, "On October 31, people do not participate in programmes honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary but shamefully attend events honouring Jinnah. We must remember that if our national heroes are not respected, what will happen to our nation?"
"No new Jinnah should ever arise within India, and if anyone dares to follow in his footsteps, they must be stopped before they pose a threat," he added.
The announcement came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a year-long commemoration of Vande Mataram to mark the 150th anniversary of the national song.
The celebration will span a year, honouring the iconic composition that inspired India's freedom struggle and continues to symbolize national pride and unity.
Vande Mataram was composed by the legendary poet Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay on Akshaya Navami, November 7, 1875. The song first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of Chattopadhyay's novel Anandamath.
Muslim Cleric urges community to withdraw children from schools
Reacting sharply to the move, Maulana Haleem Ullah Kasmi, President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Maharashtra, said Muslims should withdraw their children from schools rather than make them sing the national song.
Reacting to the decision, Maulana Haleem Ullah Kasmi told IANS, "We are Muslims. The Constitution of this country gives us the freedom to practice our religion. If anything is imposed against our faith, our Constitution does not accept it. Therefore, we will not accept any such thing that goes against our religion under any circumstances."
"Our religion teaches us that there is only one Allah, and we will only worship Him and nothing else. If we do otherwise, we will cease to be Muslims. As far as the country is concerned, Muslims have never lagged in showing respect for the nation. Whatever is happening in the name of Vande Mataram is being done only to torture Muslims," he further added.
Kasmi made it clear that Muslim children would not participate in the singing of Vande Mataram, warning that if the government insisted on enforcing the directive, the community would withdraw their children from schools altogether.
"Our children will not sing Vande Mataram in schools. The government targets us through several laws. This compulsion to sing Vande Mataram is only being done to torment Muslims," he said.
Drawing a parallel to a previous controversy, Kasmi recalled, "When the UP government mandated Surya Namaskar in schools, Maulana Ali Miyan Nadwi had appealed to all Muslims to withdraw their children from schools. I am making the same appeal now. The children should remain illiterate, remain uneducated, rather than lose their faith."
