The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday criticised the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind for adopting a resolution reiterating that singing of Vande Mataram was un-Islamic.
Party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was not mandatory under the law for anyone to sing the national song and “no one was forced to sing it.” Then why did the Jamiat feel the need to pass such a resolution at its meeting in Deoband? Why protest when it was not being forced on any one?
He was even more critical of Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who was present at the JUH session, for “legitimising” the resolution.
Mr. Naqvi said the Minister did not react to the passing of the resolution and did not make any reference to it when he spoke at the function.
The party said the Vande Mataram issue was taken up at the very start of the session. It demonstrated the “separatist mindset” of the Jamiat. On the one hand, it was praised by the Home Minister for adopting resolutions condemning terrorism and terrorists and, on the other, it declares the singing of the national song un-Islamic.
