Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has responded to criticism from his ally, the Congress party, regarding the performance of the national song Vande Mataram. He emphasized that singing all stanzas of the song at official events is a statutory requirement that must be adhered to. Abdullah’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about the song’s significance and its place in official functions.
In fact, as a party, we have never adopted Vande Mataram, and we won’t adopt it in the future either. Now, in a function where two governors, one lieutenant governor, and the acting chief justice of our high court are present, the national anthem will obviously be played,” Abdullah told reporters on Thursday. “They (Congress) should have stopped this in Parliament. But, a law has been enacted. The Vande Mataram song was accorded a status on par with the national anthem Jana Gana Mana in July. Parliament passed a bill making any insult to it a punishable offence, rekindling the long-running debate over its place in India’s history and identity. “So, what does the Congress want? That Kashmiris should be put in jail for this reason? “This is not just for Jammu and Kashmir; it applies to the entire country. In states governed by the Congress, the same will happen at government functions. “When the Congress comes to power, and I pray the Congress comes to power as soon as possible, they can revoke this in Parliament. Let them do it, we have no objection. The Congress, which provides outside support to the NC-led government in the Union territory and shares a broader national alignment under the opposition INDIA bloc, had publicly expressed strong disapproval over the singing of the full version of the Vande Mataram song.
The Congress has six MLAs in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
The chief minister said that legally, wherever the national anthem is played, all stanzas of Vande Mataram have been made mandatory. This is a statutory obligation,” he said. But whatever our legal and statutory obligations are, we have to fulfil them,” he said. Earlier reporting noted: “Want Kashmiris In Jail?”: Omar Abdullah Snaps At Congress On Full Vande Mataram “Want Kashmiris In Jail?”: Omar Abdullah Snaps At Congress On Full Vande Mataram “Want Kashmiris In Jail?”: Omar Abdullah Snaps At Congress On Full Vande Mataram Earlier reporting noted: Hitting back at the Congress, Omar Abdullah pointed out that there is a law for the entire country now mandating full rendition of Vande Mataram Hitting back at the Congress, Omar Abdullah pointed out that there is a law for the entire country now mandating full rendition of Vande Mataram Earlier reporting noted: “Do you want Kashmiris to be thrown in jail? Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has snapped back at ally Congress over its “advice” to the National Conference on the issue of Vande Mataram.
