09-01-2006, 08:59 AM
BJP blows hot and cold over Vande Mataram
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 2001 hours IST
Updated: Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 2050 hours IST
Vande Mataram New Delhi, August 31: The BJP, which has announced it will order compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in UP schools if voted to power in the state, remained non-committal on Thursday about mandatory recitation of the national song in states already in its control.
Despite RSS chief K S Sudarshan's remarks yesterday that Vande Mataram should be made compulsory in all schools, party leaders confined themselves to attacking Muslim clerics, but gave no assurance on whether governments in all BJP-ruled states would ensure strict enforcement of the central directive on the national song.
"Singing of the national song is no certificate of patriotism, but its opposition is indeed evidence of separatism," BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in a statement.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar also kept the offensive on against HRD Minister Arjun Singh, who has declared the singing of the national song would be optional on September 7 for schoolchildren in the wake of opposition from Muslim clerics to any move to make its recitation compulsory.
With no legal tools in place that could make singing of Vande Mataram compulsory for everybody, Javadekar dodged questions as to how the BJP governments planned to ensure mandatory compliance of the central directive on September 7 to mark the centenary of the adoption of the national song.
In his comments last evening, the RSS chief advocated compulsory singing of Vande Mataram at all schools. "Why not? It has to be made compulsory everywhere?" Sudarshan told reporters when asked whether the national song should be made mandatory in madrasas as well.
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 2001 hours IST
Updated: Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 2050 hours IST
Vande Mataram New Delhi, August 31: The BJP, which has announced it will order compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in UP schools if voted to power in the state, remained non-committal on Thursday about mandatory recitation of the national song in states already in its control.
Despite RSS chief K S Sudarshan's remarks yesterday that Vande Mataram should be made compulsory in all schools, party leaders confined themselves to attacking Muslim clerics, but gave no assurance on whether governments in all BJP-ruled states would ensure strict enforcement of the central directive on the national song.
"Singing of the national song is no certificate of patriotism, but its opposition is indeed evidence of separatism," BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in a statement.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar also kept the offensive on against HRD Minister Arjun Singh, who has declared the singing of the national song would be optional on September 7 for schoolchildren in the wake of opposition from Muslim clerics to any move to make its recitation compulsory.
With no legal tools in place that could make singing of Vande Mataram compulsory for everybody, Javadekar dodged questions as to how the BJP governments planned to ensure mandatory compliance of the central directive on September 7 to mark the centenary of the adoption of the national song.
In his comments last evening, the RSS chief advocated compulsory singing of Vande Mataram at all schools. "Why not? It has to be made compulsory everywhere?" Sudarshan told reporters when asked whether the national song should be made mandatory in madrasas as well.