Reciting Vande Mataram is unconstitutional and unacceptable, government should withdraw notification: Muslim Personal Law Board

New Delhi, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has strongly objected to the central government's notification, under which the central government has made it mandatory to read all the verses of Vande Mataram in official ceremonies and schools before the national anthem Jan Gan Man. The board has termed it as unconstitutional and contrary to religious freedom.

The General Secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Rehman Mujaddidi, expressed strong reaction to the central government's decision in a press statement, saying that the government's decision is unconstitutional, contrary to religious freedom and secular values, against the Supreme Court's decision, and directly contradicts the beliefs of Muslims, therefore, it is not acceptable to Muslims at all. Maulana said that after Rabindranath Tagore's advice and Constituent Assembly's discussions, it was agreed that only two stanzas would be read. A secular government cannot impose the beliefs and teachings of one religion on other religious classes by force. This song was written in the context of Bengal and it mentions the worship and vandana of Durga and other goddesses and gods.

The implementation of this before the West Bengal elections, whatever be the intention of the BJP government, Muslims cannot accept it because it directly contradicts their faith and beliefs. Muslims only worship one Allah, and Islam does not tolerate even a bit of polytheism in the personality of God. The General Secretary of the board further said that the country's courts have also banned the reading of its other verses, considering them contrary to secular values. Therefore, our demand from the central government is that it should immediately withdraw this notification, otherwise, the board will challenge it in court.