Vande Matram Cannot Be Treated On Par With National Anthem: Owaisi

In a post on

Referring to the Constitution of India, he said that the Preamble begins with “We, the People” and not with “Bharat Maa”. It promises “freedom of thought, expression, belief, belief and worship.” He said Article 1, the first provision of the Constitution, defines “India, i.e. Bharat” as a Union of States.

In the Constituent Assembly, some members wanted the Preamble to begin with the name of a goddess and specifically referred to Vande Mataram. Others wanted it to begin “in the name of God” and for “their countrymen” to be replaced by “their countrymen”. However, Owaisi said all these changes have failed.

“India, that is, Bharat, is its people. The nation is not a goddess; it does not act in the name of a god or goddess and does not belong to a single god or goddess,” he said.

Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao took exception to Owaisi’s objection to the government’s decision and said the AIMIM leadership sees any cultural integration as a threat to religious exclusivism.

He said this was not limited to Owaisi only, even Jinnah followed the same path. Jinnah said that he did not object to Vande Mataram in the early stages of his political career as a Congress member and that his opposition emerged only after he left the Congress.

“What does this tell us? When politics becomes addicted to religious exclusivism, every symbol of civilization is portrayed as a threat,” Rao wrote in a post on X. he said.

Suggesting a model, the BJP leader said the AIMIM is not only against Vande Mataram but also against the Uniform Civil Code, abolition of Triple Talaq and any attempt to create a common framework.

“All of this stems from a leadership mentality that sees cultural integration and national harmony as dangers in terms of its political importance and religious exclusivism,” he said.

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act, 1971 to make obstructing the singing of the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence. This gives Vande Mataram the same legal protection as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.