AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Union Cabinet decision to grant Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. He argued the song is an ode to a goddess and should not be equated with a secular anthem. Owaisi cited constitutional language and the Preamble’s focus on “We, the People”.
India
-Krishna Kripa
A political row has broken out after the Union Cabinet cleared a change that gave Vande Mataram legal protection equal to Jana Gana Mana. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi objected to the move on X. Owaisi said Vande Mataram should not match the anthem’s status. Owaisi described the song as an ode to a goddess.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Union Cabinet decision to grant Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. He argued the song is an ode to a goddess and should not be equated with a secular anthem. Owaisi cited constitutional language and the Preamble’s focus on “We, the People”.
The Union Cabinet approved amending the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The change made blocking the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence. It placed the national song under the same statutory cover as Jana Gana Mana. The decision triggered fresh debate on national symbols and religious meaning.
Vande Mataram statutory protection and Owaisi’s objections
Owaisi argued that the nation did not belong to any deity. Owaisi said a country did not function in the name of a god. Owaisi wrote that Jana Gana Mana honoured India and its people. Owaisi added, “Religion ≠ nation.\” Owaisi said Vande Mataram could not be treated at par.
Owaisi also questioned the background of the song’s author in the same post. Owaisi wrote, \”The man who wrote Vande Mataram was sympathetic to the British Raj and despised Muslims.\” Owaisi said several leaders did not accept the song. Owaisi listed Netaji Bose, Gandhi, Nehru, and Tagore as critics.
Vande Mataram statutory protection and Constitution references
Citing the Constitution, Owaisi pointed to the Preamble’s opening words. Owaisi said it began with We, the People, not Bharat Maa. Owaisi said it promised liberty of thought and belief. Owaisi also cited Article 1. Owaisi wrote that it defined India, that is Bharat, as a Union of States.
Owaisi referred to debates in the Constituent Assembly on the Preamble’s wording. Owaisi said some members wanted it to open in a goddess’s name. Owaisi said they invoked Vande Mataram during those proposals. Owaisi said others sought \”In the name of God\” and a different phrasing. Owaisi said every such amendment failed.
Owaisi repeated that India, that is Bharat, meant its citizens. Owaisi said the nation was not a goddess. Owaisi added that it did not run under any deity. Owaisi said it did not belong to one god or goddess. Owaisi used these points to oppose equal legal status.
Vande Mataram statutory protection and BJP response
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao criticised Owaisi’s objections. Rao said the AIMIM leadership treated cultural integration as a danger. Rao said this view supported religious exclusivism. Rao wrote, \”It is not just limited to Owaisi, even Jinnah followed the same trajectory,\” in a post on X.
Rao referred to Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s early politics and later stand. Rao said Jinnah did not oppose Vande Mataram at first in the Congress. Rao said the opposition came after Jinnah left the party. Rao wrote, \”What does this tell us? Once politics becomes dependent on religious exclusivism, every civilisational symbol is portrayed as a threat,\” on X.
Rao also linked the dispute to other policy positions. Rao said the AIMIM opposed Vande Mataram and other reforms. Rao listed the Uniform Civil Code and the end of Triple Talaq. Rao said the pattern reflected a fear of national cohesion. Rao said it was tied to political relevance and religious exclusivism.
The proposed legal change now centred attention on how national symbols were protected. The amendment targeted obstruction of the singing of Vande Mataram. It aligned the national song’s protection with Jana Gana Mana under the 1971 law. The debate continued online, with Owaisi and Rao restating their positions on X.
With inputs from PTI
