New Delhi: Opposition and NDA leaders on Friday sparred over the BJP-led Centre’s likely introduction of a Bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament that will call for punishment for any insult or obstruction to rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’.
The proposed move will reportedly give the national song the same status as the national anthem.
Criticising the proposal, Congress MP Imran Masood said: “They (Central government) don’t have any other agenda. This goes against the secular ethos of the country.”
Asserting that no Indian would ever attempt to disrupt the singing of the national song, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said: “Who in this country would be such a despicable and shameless Indian to disrupt ‘Vande Mataram’? If someone is a foreigner, we already have enough laws to deal with them. Today, the BJP has nothing left to do except play the Hindu-Muslim card, which is why it is bringing such frivolous Bills.”
CPI leader Binoy Viswam echoed the same sentiments, saying: “Nobody will insult Vande Mataram, but the country is very clear that India is a secular nation. For such a nation, secular values are important. Any song or anthem propagating the ideas of a particular religion and praising certain gods or goddesses raises a question.”
“The government has to make it clear whether they are serious about secularism or not,” he told IANS.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Udaiveer Singh noted there are already laws to uphold the respect of the national song and national anthem.
“But the government does not want to answer questions about the future of the youth. That is why it keeps presenting old things in new packaging,” he remarked.
However, the NDA hit back saying that it is “unfortunate” that several Opposition leaders are still opposed to singing of the national song despite guidelines by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Referring to Vande Mataram as an “immortal creation”, BJP leader Pratul Shah Deo said: “Those who don’t give proper respect to the song, should be severely punished.”
JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said: “Every verse of Vande Mataram should be remembered by every citizen of this country, and arrangements should be made to ensure that.”
Welcoming the likely move, Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi said: “It is the right step. Earlier as well, there was a legal provision against insulting the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’. If the government has now made Vande Mataram, our national song compulsory, then action should also be taken against anyone who insults it.”
Meanwhile, founder-president of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Pratishthan, Shivsharanappa Wali also backed the likely introduction of the Bill.
“I believe, and I know, that even if someone opposes it, the Bill will be passed. But it will be recorded in history…all the people and all the parties that oppose it will be seen by the people and their opinion might be considered as anti-national,” he told IANS.
(IANS)
