BJP Slams Objections to ‘Vande Mataram’ Event
Row erupts after Muslim group urges community to stay away from national song–themed competition
- Muslim group objects to Vande Mataram–themed singing competition
- BJP leaders accuse outfit of politicising religion
- Party spokesperson cites legacy of Muslim freedom fighters
- Row resurfaces during 150th anniversary of national song
GG News Bureau
Jammu, 31st Dec: A fresh controversy has erupted over a Vande Mataram–themed singing competition, after a Muslim religious grouping objected to the programme and advised the community to stay away — drawing sharp criticism from the BJP.
Without naming the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), BJP spokesperson Abhijeet Jasrotia said anyone who places religion above the nation has a “choice”, referring to the historical two-nation division of 1947.
“Those who are having a problem in singing Vande Mataram, let me tell you one thing — martyr Ashfaqullah Khan and Abdul Qadir were greater Muslims compared to some accidental political Muslims of this country,” Jasrotia said.
He added that those who chose religion over the nation had moved to Pakistan and Bangladesh after Partition, and said India stands for a secular identity where the nation must come before religion.
The MMU, which claims to be the largest conglomerate of Islamic organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, objected to the “circulation and promotion of publicity material” for a government-supported singing competition themed on Vande Mataram. In a post on X, the group advised the Muslim community to stay away from such programmes.
The remarks triggered an angry reaction from BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi, who accused the group of trying to create unrest. “Vande Mataram is one song that united every Indian against colonial rule. Once again, you are looking for an excuse to stoke trouble in the region. Stop giving Islamic colour to everything,” he said.
Reservations over Vande Mataram have surfaced multiple times in the past, primarily due to objections that the full version of the song associates the nation with Hindu goddesses, which some believe conflicts with Islamic principles.
The renewed controversy has emerged as the country marks the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, bringing long-standing ideological differences back into sharp public focus.
