Stopping Vande Mataram recital is like treason: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Terming it akin to “treason”, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday questioned the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to ‘temporarily’ stop the recital of ‘Vande Mataram’ at the state secretariat and asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to explain if the decision was taken at his behest.

“The decision of the Congress government in MP to block the recital of ‘Vande Mataram’ is unfortunate and shameful. ‘Vande Mataram’ is not only a mere song but is the symbol of India’s freedom movement as well as an inspiration to every Indian,” Shah said in a statement.

“In any kind of political thinking, insulting the sacrifices of the country’s freedom fighters is considered an act of treason by common citizens like me,” he said.

Shah said by stopping the recital on the first of every month — as has been the tradition for the last 14 years under the BJP regime — Congress had “insulted the sacrifices of freedom fighters. He said it was a betrayal to the people of MP as well.

The BJP chief accused Congress of trying to “appease” one particular community by banning ‘Vande Mataram’. “I want to ask Rahul Gandhi if it was his decision to insult ‘Vande Mataram’?” Shah asked in a post.