Caravan News
BHOPAL — For the first time since 2005, government employees did not sing the national song at the secretariat here on Tuesday — the first day of the month thanks to Kamal Nath-led Congress government’s decision that it was no longer compulsory to sing the national song.
However, bowing to pressure and condemnation of the Opposition BJP, Madhya Pradesh government led by Kamal Nath took a 180-degree turn on Thursday on the singing of Vande Mataram in the state secretariat.
Madhya Prasesh government has 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.
“At 10:45 am on first working day of every month, a police band will play the tunes that encourage patriotic feelings during their march from Shaurya Samarak to Vallabh Bhawan in Bhopal. On arrival at the Bhawan, the national anthem and Vande Mataram will be sung,” said Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
This is new look rather polished Vande Mataram Kamal Nath has introduced under threat from former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Chouhan had pledged to sing the national song in the assembly along with over 100 BJP lawmakers as a mark of protest against the decision to stop singing Vande Mataram.
Kamal Nath, however, said he condemned politics on Vande Mataram. “I feel that it is wrong to do politics on Vande Mataram. They are doing politics on ‘Vande Mataram’ and Ram temple. I condemn this. We will give a new look to ‘Vande Mataram’,” he said, reports NDTV.
