MT Desk: A major political and religious controversy erupted on Monday after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that singing ‘Vande Mataram’ would be made mandatory in all educational institutions across the state. Reacting sharply to the move, Maulana Haleem Ullah Qasmi, President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Maharashtra, said Muslims should withdraw their children from schools rather than make them sing ‘Vande Mataram’.

Addressing the ‘Ekta Yatra’ and Vande Mataram singing event in Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “There should be a sense of respect for the national song Vande Mataram. We will make its singing compulsory in every school and educational institution of Uttar Pradesh so that a sense of reverence and respect is invoked in everyone towards Bharat Mata and Matrubhoomi.” The announcement, which the Chief Minister said was aimed at fostering patriotism and unity, was met with resistance from sections of the Muslim community.

Reacting to the decision, Maulana Haleem Ullah Qasmi told IANS, “We are Muslims. The Constitution of our country gives us the freedom to practice our religion. If anything is imposed against our faith, our Constitution does not accept it. Therefore, we will not accept any such thing that goes against our religion under any circumstances.” “Our religion teaches us that there is only one Allah, and we will only worship Him and nothing else. If we do otherwise, we will cease to be Muslims. As far as the country is concerned, Muslims have never lagged in showing respect for the nation.

Whatever is happening in the name of Vande Mataram is being done only to torture Muslims,” he further added. Qasmi made it clear that Muslim children would not participate in the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ and said that if the government insisted on enforcing the directive, the community would withdraw their children from schools altogether.

“Our children will not sing Vande Mataram in schools. The government targets us through several laws. This compulsion to sing Vande Mataram is only being done to torment Muslims,” he added. Drawing a parallel to a previous controversy, Qasmi recalled, “When the UP government mandated Surya Namaskar in schools, Maulana Ali Miyan Nadwi had appealed to all Muslims to withdraw their children from schools. I am making the same appeal now. The children should remain illiterate, to remain uneducated, rather than to lose their faith.”