Mumbai: Adding his voice to that of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has refused to sing ‘Vande Mataram’, the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) president Prakash Ambedkar has said no one should be compelled to sing it. Ambedkar was addressing a rally in Parbhani.
‘Jana Gana Mana’ is the national anthem, not ‘Vande Mataram’. When there is an official national anthem already, why is there a need for another? Does the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not believe in the national anthem?” Ambedkar demanded. Criticising the BJP for making it compulsory to sing Vande Mataram, Ambedkar said, “BJP has no business to classify those singing Vande Mataram as Indian and those not singing it, as non-Indians.”
He took a potshot at the Congress for its delay in finalising the decision to tie up with the BBM for the next polls. “I will not break our alliance with the AIMIM for the Congress. We are not like those who break away from political friends for selfish reasons,” Ambedkar said.
He added, “If Cong had really wanted to forge an alliance with BBM, they would have done it by now. I met Congress leaders from the state. They told me the decision would be taken in Delhi. In the last two months, I did not receive any message from Delhi leaders. This means, Cong does not like Ambedkar and our ‘Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’ (Alliance for party for oppressed society).”