Shafiqur Rahman Barq, a BSP MP, has refused to apologise for walking out of the Lok Sabha when the national song Vande Mataram was played yesterday  to mark the sine die adjournment of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Speaker Meira Kumar had rebuked him saying, "One honourable member walked out when Vande Mataram was being played. I take very serious view of this. I would want to know why this was done. This should never be done again," Kumar said.

Barq, a BSP member from Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, said today that he did not respect the national song. Speaking to CNN IBN, Barq said, "I respect the national anthem, not the national song. I have boycotted it earlier as well. I will not apologise to the Speaker and neither will there be a letter of apology from me. As long as I am alive I will not sing the Vande Mataram, it is against our beliefs. Muslims like me will not sing the Vande Mataram, we will bow only to Allah."