Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has slammed the Congress-led state government for not playing Vande Mataram at the Secretariat on the first working day of January, according to ANI.
“I made an appeal to the Congress party to not break the tradition and recite the song at the Secretariat with pride. Vande Mataram is not a song, it is a mantra that was used by the revolutionaries to make this country free from British’s control. The government keeps coming and going but one should know that the nation comes first.”Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Former Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh to ANI
The Congress on Tuesday, 1 January, said that the state government has decided to put on hold the previous BJP government’s tradition to recite the national song in the secretariat on the first working day of every month, reported ANI.
“It’s unfortunate that Congress ended this tradition. I demand Congress government to reintroduce this & if they don’t do it, I will sing Vande Matram with patriots at Vallabh Bhavan.”Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Former Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh to ANI
All the 109 MLAs will recite Vande Matram at the Madhya Pradesh Secretariat in Bhopal on 7 January, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
BJP party President Amit Shah too slammed the MP government for “betraying the people of the state”.
In a Facebook post, Shah alleged that Congress is making Madhya Pradesh, the “heart of Hindustan”, a centre of its “appeasement” policy.
“I want to ask Congress national president Rahul Gandhi whether the insult of Vande Mataram is his decision. Rahul Gandhi should clear his stand before the people of country on the unfortunate decision by the Congress government.”Amit Shah on Facebook
The BJP chief said 'Vande Mataram' does not belong to any particular community and instead it is a symbol of the sacrifice of lakhs of warriors who laid down their lives for the freedom of India.
However, reacting to the BJP’s charges, Chief Minister Kamal Nath questioned if those who do not recite Vande Mataram are not patriots. Hitting back at the party, Nath also said that “BJP, who doesn’t have a single freedom fighter should not teach us nationalism”.
He also announced to restore singing of 'Vande Mataram' at the state secretariat from next month, in a new form with a police band and local citizens besides adding the national anthem in the exercise.
(With inputs from ANI)
(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.)