UP Governor, Deputy CM raise pitch for 'Vande Mataram'

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Maurya said those who are creating controversies over the singing of Vande Mataram must not do so.

Lucknow, April 9: Amid the row over 'Vande Mataram', Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Sunday said everyone should respect the recognition given to it, while state's deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya held that any effort to encourage singing of the national song should be encouraged.

"Freedom fighters had laid down their lives singing Vande Mataram. The Constitution had given recognition to national anthem and national song in 1950 but it was not recited in Parliament for 45 years.

"While Vande Mataram was recited on November 23, 1992 and Jan Gana Man on November 24, 1992. We all should respect the recognition given by Constitution to them (national anthem and national song)," Naik said while addressing the annual day function of a college in Sitapur.

The Governor also emphasised that there should be no discrimination between girls and boys.

"As a Chancellor of universities I have found that 65 per cent of gold, silver and other medals were bagged by girls," he added.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Maurya said those who are creating controversies over the singing of Vande Mataram must not do so.

"And, if at any place there is any initiative to start the practice of singing Vande Mataram, it should be encouraged," he said.

"Vande Mataram symbolises countless tales of sacrifices made by our countrymen," Maurya added.

Vande Mataram -- the national song of India is a poem composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1870s, which he included in his 1881 novel 'Anandamath'. The first two verses of the song were adopted as the national song in 1937.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had yesterday hit out at those refusing to sing the national song, saying it reflected their "narrow mindedness".

"Some people are saying that we will not saying Vande Matram... we want this country to move ahead in the 21st century and the matter of dispute is that we will sing Vande Matram or not... this is a matter of concern," he had said.

"We will have to find a way out to overcome this narrow mindedness," Adityanath added.

His remarks came against the backdrop of Samajwadi Party corporators protesting against a proposal to make singing of the national song compulsory at commencement of proceedings of a meeting of Allahabad municipal corporation.

The recent incident came days after municipal corporations in Meerut and Varanasi too witnessed similar ruckus over the issue.

PTI