Not singing Vande Mataram doesn't make one anti-national: Union minister Naqvi
July 30, 2017 10:22
Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said singing 'Vande Mataram' was a "matter of choice" and those refusing to sing it could not be dubbed as anti- nationals.
"Singing Vande Mataram is absolutely an individual's choice. Those who want to sing can sing it, those who don't, may not. Not singing it does not make one anti-national," said the Union minister of state (independent charge) for parliamentary affairs and minority affairs.
He added that however, if someone deliberately opposed the singing of the national song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, it was "in bad taste" and "not in the interest of the country".
Meanwhile, commenting on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA-fold, Naqvi described the JD-U chief as "a natural ally of the BJP".
"Singing Vande Mataram is absolutely an individual's choice. Those who want to sing can sing it, those who don't, may not. Not singing it does not make one anti-national," said the Union minister of state (independent charge) for parliamentary affairs and minority affairs.
He added that however, if someone deliberately opposed the singing of the national song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, it was "in bad taste" and "not in the interest of the country".
Meanwhile, commenting on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA-fold, Naqvi described the JD-U chief as "a natural ally of the BJP".
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