Vande Mataram to be sung before every civic meeting in Varanasi, Gorakhpur

The mayors of Varanasi and Gorakhpur have announced that the National Song Vande Mataram should be sung at every municipal corporation meeting. The issue had started last Saturday when BJP corporator Ajay Gupta had proposed that the national song should be sung before proceedings of the house begin. [caption id=“attachment_3133850” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty Images[/caption] Members of Congress and the Samajwadi Party had protested following Muslim members objection to the song being mandatory at the House. According to The Economic Times, Mayor Ram Gopal Mohale said in a statement on Monday that action would be taken against the SP and Congress members for allegedly insulting the national song by raising derogatory slogans. On 30 March, NDTV reported that a group of Muslim councillors left the meeting of the House while Vande Mataram was being sung. This tradition of those who do not want to sing along being allowed to leave the hall and return after the song is over has been going on for years but this time the councillors are facing action. While walking out they were taunted and heckled by their colleagues. The municipal board meeting for held for the first time since the new BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath came to chair around 11 days ago. Mohley told The Indian Express that the proposal of singing the national song was given to the House but municipal body members of the Samajwadi Party started raising slogans against the RSS. Hence, he has ordered that all meetings which he will attend will start with the National Song. Gorakhpur mayor Satya Pandey also announced at Saturday’s meeting that they would conclude the proceedings with the singing of Vande Mataram. He further justified it by saying that they were not trying to link nationalism with elections and members of the Samajwadi Party should also support the move.