“We cannot say ‘Vande Mataram’ because we believe in Allah,” said Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi in Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday.
Azmi’s statement has sparked a major controversy as he went on to say that he won’t recite ‘Vande Mataram’, India’s national song, as it is similar to bowing to the nation and that his religion (Islam) “does not allow him to bow before anyone, not even his mother.”
“On March 29 at 5 pm, three people arrived near the Ram temple in Aurangabad. I got the wrong answer this time. Slogans were given that if you want to stay in this country, you have to say Vande Mataram. However, we cannot say Vande Mataram because we believe in Allah,” Azmi said.
His statement led to a ruckus in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha with the BJP MLAs taking a strong exception to the statement.
#WATCH | Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi says, “I respect ‘Vande Mantram’ but I can’t read it because my religion says we can’t bow down to anyone except ‘Allah’. pic.twitter.com/uYJmkR7GWj
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2023
Speaker Rahul Narwekar appealed to the legislators to calm down. “Azmi’s comments are irrelevant to the topic. He should focus on the issue listed for the discussion,” Narwekar said.
"Is desh me rahna hoga to Vande Mataram kehna hoga (If you want to stay in this country, you have to recite Vande Mataram)," slogans were given in state Assembly.
"My request to Abu Azmi is that in this country, millions of people have faith in Vande Mataram. The statement made by him is not appropriate. No religion would suggest not respecting one's mother. This is not a religious song. Vande Mataram is our national song," BJP leader and Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Not the first time
It is, however, not the first time singing of Vande Mataram sparked a political controversy in Maharashtra. In 2017, Azmi along with Waris Pathan of Owaisi brothers-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen said it cannot be forced on others to prove their sense of nationalism.
Back then, Azmi had said the BJP-Shiv Sena government was toeing the line of RSS and polarising the society.
“I am a true follower of Islam and singing Vande Mataram is against my religion and also against the constitution. A true Muslim will never sing,” Azmi had said.
"I don’t care whether you throw me out of the country or shoot me,” the SP MLA had said.
Pathan had said, “Even at knife point at my throat or gun on my head, I am not going to sing Vande Mataram...we believe in Constitution."
With inputs from agencies