What happens when you think you are too cool for school? Exactly what happened to a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson when he was asked to sing Vande Mataram on live television. He failed – miserably.
Recently, the BJP has been pushing to make singing Vande Mataram mandatory in schools and legislatures. Ironically, it has found little help from its members.
Navin Kumar Singh was part of a TV news debate on Zee Salaam, when he got into an argument with All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) leader Mufti Ejaz Arshad Qasmi. Arguing on the topic of patriotism, Qasmi asked Singh to prove his nationalism by singing the national song. What ensued was hilarious.
Singh made two failed attempts at singing Vande Mataram. Initially, he tried to stall by asking Qasmi if he would stand up and join him. When the AIMPLB leader didn’t give up, Singh was left with no option but to give it a try.
He faltered in the first line itself, and was met with laughter and ridicule from his nemesis. What he didn’t fail at, however, was constantly trying to open the lyrics on his mobile phone. Alas, even that didn’t help him.
Singh tried to put Qasmi to test, but was shot down by the anchor, who asked Singh to prove his own nationalism first.
When the BJP spokesperson finally started singing with the help of the lyrics on his phone, it looked like a typical out-of-tune karaoke.
The video has gone viral on social media, and the BJP spokesperson has been trolled to no end. While many have written about the irony of the situation, some have gone ahead to declare Singh’s version of Vande Mataram better than that of AR Rahman’s.
This comes just after the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea seeking official recognition of Vande Mataram at par with the National Anthem. The HC said Vande Mataram does not need law to command respect.
It is not the first time a BJP leader couldn’t sing the national song. Previously, Baldev Singh Aulakh, Uttar Pradesh MoS for Minority Welfare, was unable to sing Vande Mataram on a TV channel.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)