Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. (Express file photo)Taking a sharp U-turn from its earlier decision, the Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday announced that Vande Mataram will be sung on the first working day of every month in the secretariat. Besides this, a police band will march from Shourya Samarak to Vallabh Bhawan in Bhopal while playing Vande Mataram, the state government said.
The decision came two days after the Kamal Nath-led Congress government had ruled that it was no longer compulsory to sing the national song. For the first time since 2005, government employees did not sing the national song at the secretariat on Tuesday — the first day of the month.
CM Nath holds the portfolio of General Administration Department (GAD), which is responsible for organising the monthly event.
Following the announcement on Tuesday, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal had asked Nath to tell the state if he had stopped the practice because he held the GAD portfolio. “By discontinuing singing of Vande Mataram, he has given a new year gift to patriotic citizens,” Agrawal said.
Congress spokespersons and ministers were at a loss to explain what they thought was a mistake, with some, including ministers P C Sharma and Jitu Patwari of the opinion that it was an oversight.
However, the CM then struck a different note, saying, “The decision has not been taken as part of any agenda. We are not against singing Vande Mataram…It’s a wrong to link patriotism and nationalism with day’s singing of Vande Mataram. Are those people who don’t sing Vande Mataram not patriots?”
