Vande Mataram is Back in 'New Form', MP Congress Clarifies After Row Over Ending 14-year-old Tradition​

Bhopal: As the row escalated for discontinuing Vande Matarm in Madhya Pradesh cabinet, Chief Minister Kamal Nath here on Thursday, taking a step further, issued an order to take out a procession on the first day of every month to the secretariat with the police reciting Vande Mataram and national anthem.

The order claimed that the rendition of the national song and the national anthem by police band at secretariat would be joined by Chief Minister and his council of ministers besides the government staffers.

The order from General Administration Department (GAD) stated that it aims to make it a grand function encouraging participation from the public and eventually turn it into a prominent event of the city. Moreover such functions would be started at division and district headquarters, read the order issued by GAD.

The procession would commence at Shaurya Smarak, built in the memory of martyrs of armed forces at Arera Hills, close to secretariat in Bhopal.

BJP pouncing upon the opportunity had dubbed it an appeasement tactic from the Congress government.

Responding to the order, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed that the attempt to disrupt the tradition of Vande Mataram recital not only failed, but the Congress government was compelled to restore its respect under pressure from the public.

He also tweeted from his personal handle that the BJP would continue to oppose anti-public measures taken by the Congress government.

Reiterating his announcement of reciting Vande Mataram at secretariat premises on Jan 7, Chouhan in another tweet had claimed Congress needs to understand that Vande Mataram is above the party politics.

Echoing his party president Amit Shah’s remarks, Chouhan in yet another tweet had questioned whether disruption of this tradition was done at the behest of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi or it was a brainchild of CM Kamal Nath.

CM Kamal Nath on Wednesday had asked BJP to refrain from politicizing this issue and claiming that fresh format of Vande Mataram recital would be announced in a day or two.

The order comes close on the heels of a raging controversy that ensued after customary recital of Vande Mataram was skipped at Mantralaya on January 1.