Yogi Adityanath: Mandatory Vande Mataram in UP Schools to Strengthen National Unity, ‘No Space for New Jinnahs’
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday declared that singing Vande Mataram will soon be compulsory in all schools and colleges across the state.
Emphasising that the national song embodies the spirit of India’s freedom struggle and patriotism, he said this step aims to instill deep respect for the motherland among students.
Speaking in Gorakhpur after leading an Ekta March to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, he stated that every educational institution must conduct community recitations of Vande Mataram.
“We will ensure this anthem of national pride is sung everywhere so that love and respect for Bharat Mata becomes a daily inspiration,” he said.
Hitting out at attempts to oppose the song, particularly remarks by Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the Chief Minister warned against what he termed a “conspiracy to create a new Jinnah.”
Yogi Adityanath stressed that India will not allow divisive ideologies to grow again. “Before anyone challenges India’s integrity, such ideas must be defeated,” he asserted.
He pointed to historical opposition to Vande Mataram, recalling how Congress leader Mohammad Ali Jauhar walked out during its singing in 1923.
Yogi claimed that such resistance to the national songs sowed seeds of division that ultimately led to the partition of India.
“No faith or identity can be above the nation,” he said, adding that differences must never weaken unity and national harmony.
Highlighting the historical significance of Vande Mataram, the Chief Minister described it as the slogan that inspired countless freedom fighters to sacrifice everything for India’s independence.
“It was the mantra of the freedom struggle, recited before stepping into battle against colonial rule,” he said.
Today, he added, some people wrongly call it communal, ignoring its legacy of courage and devotion to the motherland.
Reiterating his stand, he emphasised that those trying to undermine national unity must be stopped so that divisive forces never again threaten India.
“The nation comes first. Anyone challenging this principle will face firm opposition,” he said.
Meanwhile, SP MP Barq had earlier defended his refusal to sing the national song, claiming it goes against his religious beliefs and cannot determine his patriotism. He argued that no one can compel Muslims to recite it.
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