Vande Mataram row: Congress needs no BJP certificate, says Jitu Patwari

MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari hit back at CM Mohan Yadav over the 'Vande Mataram' row, stating Congress needs no patriotism certificate from BJP after a councillor allegedly refused to sing it. The matter is now with a disciplinary committee.

'Vande Mataram in our veins': Jitu Patwari

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari hit back at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav over the ongoing 'Vande Mataram' controversy in Indore, asserting that the national song is deeply embedded in the ethos of Congress workers and citizens. His remarks came after CM Yadav asked Patwari to clarify the party's stand on a Congress councillor who allegedly refused to sing 'Vande Mataram' during proceedings of the Indore Municipal Corporation and called for strict action. "Vande Mataram resides in the veins of every Congress worker and citizen of the country. The national song and the national anthem have been established by the ideology of the Congress party. When the freedom fighters were singing Vande Mataram to liberate the country, those who are now accusing us were serving British rule. This is history and it is also documented. We do not need any certificate from anyone regarding our stance on the national song and national anthem. We do not need a certificate from the BJP," Patwari told reporters on Saturday.

He added that the party has taken cognisance of the incident and referred the matter to its disciplinary committee, which will take an appropriate decision.

Sajjan Singh Verma targets CM

On the other hand, Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma also criticised the Chief Minister, saying that every line of 'Vande Mataram' reflects the spirit of the nation and should be respected. "All the existing lines of Vande Mataram reflect the essence of our nation. I want to say to Mohan Yadav that even the existing lines cannot be sung by him alone. Had there been five additional verses, you would have been found lying unconscious on the ground. Every word and line captures the spirit of the entire country, and that is our inspiration," he said.

Verma further targeted the state government over civic issues in Indore, alleging administrative failures and questioning whether the Chief Minister had taken adequate steps to address them. He added that the party would take a decision on the matter through its internal mechanisms. "Numerous such incidents have occurred in Indore. Did Mohan Yadav, who is the Minister-in-charge of the district, convene even a single meeting to address these issues? Mohan Yadav should first introspect himself and examine his own conduct. If needed, we will demand Jitu Patwari's resignation. There is no one at fault in this entire matter (Vande Mataram row). The issue has been referred to the state disciplinary committee, and such matters are decided by the committee," he added.

VHP calls incident 'unfortunate'

Meanwhile, Vishva Hindu Parishad National General Secretary Milind Parande termed the incident "unfortunate" and stressed that all citizens must respect the national song, anthem and flag. "It is very unfortunate. All the citizens of this country, who follow the Constitution, must respect Vande Mataram. Whatever has been designated as the national song, national anthem, and our national flag should be respected by everyone. Taking such a stand (refusing to sing Vande Mataram) sends a wrong message in the community as well. We all have the example of A P J Abdul Kalam, who made immense contributions to the nation and never had any controversies in his life. Such leadership should be encouraged. I believe the entire Muslim community should reflect that supporting the wrong leaders will lead them in the wrong direction. What has happened is not right and should be condemned," Parande said.

What CM Yadav said

Earlier, CM Yadav said that the refusal to sing 'Vande Mataram' reflects poorly on the Congress and asked leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to explain the party's position. "A Congress councillor's refusal to sing Vande Mataram in the municipal corporation house proceedings was unfortunate, reflecting the character of a Congress representative. Congress State president Jitu Patwari and National president and leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi must explain why their members are encouraged to behave in this manner, insulting the sacrifices of patriots," CM Yadav said.

How the controversy began

The controversy erupted after Congress councillor Fauzia Sheikh Alim allegedly declined to sing 'Vande Mataram' during a budget discussion at the Indore Municipal Corporation on April 8. The Congress councillor arrived late to the meeting proceedings. BJP councillors reportedly asked her to sing 'Vande Mataram', which she declined. The refusal of the Congress councillor to sing the 'Vande Mataram' led to uproar from the BJP councillors and the raising of slogans. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)