Row in Houses over Vande Mataram

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New Delhi: Ruling coalition and Opposition members slugged it out in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday over the Government's statement that singing the national song Vande Mataram on September 7 was voluntary, leading to the house being adjourned twice.

Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh had said last week that it was not binding on citizens to sing the song, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1876, on September 7, the day marking the culmination of yearlong celebrations of the song.

Arjun Singh had earlier asked all state governments to ensure that the first two stanzas of the song were sung in all schools on that day.

BJP Deputy Leader V K Malhotra wanted the Government to clarify whether singing the national song on September 7 in schools was mandatory or not.

Reacting to this, a Left party member made some remarks, expunged later by the Speaker, about the song. This provoked the BJP and Shiv Sena members to raise their voices saying the remarks made by Mohammad Salim of the CPI-M were "anti-national".

The Speaker tried to pacify the BJP and the Shiv Sena, but they continued to raise a din, forcing him to adjourn the house till 1130 hrs (IST).

When the house met, Arjun Singh said: "It was a decision taken at an all-party meeting presided over by the prime minister to observe September 7 as marking the end of the centenary year of the national song."

"The government will not impose the decision on anybody and those who want to sing 'Vande Mataram' can sing," he added.

Singh's statement was contested vociferously by BJP members, who later walked out. They came back after a few minutes, but the Shiv Sena continued to shout slogans against the remarks, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House at 1150 hrs to 1200 hrs (IST).