Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM’s Bihar president and MLA Akhtarul Iman refused to sing the national song (Vande Mataram) during the concluding session of the winter session of Bihar assembly.
He said that he doesn’t have any problem in singing the national anthem but there is an objection to Vande Mataram as it is it ‘against his faith and religion.’
“Why is it important to sing the national song? Everyone has their own choices. It is not important, without reason you should not make anything important. I am not against the national song, but saying Vande Mataram is against our religion,” he added.
As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, a new tradition was started during the current winter session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. The national anthem (Jana Gana Mana) was sung by all the legislators at the beginning of the winter session and today the national song (Vande Mataram) was sung during the concluding day.
Iman associated national song with one particular culture and said the assembly speaker was trying to impose it on us.
“Was assembly not running before? Did our ancestors not have love for the country. A particular culture are being thrust on us,” he alleged.
When one of the reporter outside Bihar assembly asked him if if not singing the national song was ‘anti-national’ (desh-droh), he replied that they are following constitution and singing the national song is not mandatory in Constitution
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to react.
“We have a problem with those who do not sing the national anthem and the national song. If anyone has any objection to singing Vande Mataram, it means their intentions are wrong,” BJP MLA Sanjay Singh said.
