Vande Mataram Divides Congress In Madhya Pradesh

Rift in the Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress on Thursday came to the fore with a powerful section of the party taking strong exception to two Muslim corporators of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) shunning the national song “Vande Mataram”, calling it against Islam. 

The row erupted when two corporators of the IMC, Fauzia Sheikh Aleem and Rubina Iqbal, categorically refused to sing ‘Vande Mataram’, sung by the members to mark the commencement of the budget session of the corporation on Wednesday.

Ms. Aleem was directed by



the chair to leave the House when she declined to comply with his request to sing the national song, while challenging it to show the rule making the singing of the national song mandatory. 

Ms. Iqbal also shunned the song, contending that Islam does not permit to sing the song and she will not go against her religious beliefs. 

The corporator however said that she respects the country and other national and patriotic songs, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Saare Jahan Se Acha’, but will not sing ‘Vande Mataram’.