New Delhi: A day after the Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Board announced Thursday that the singing of the National Anthem before the start of classes would be mandatory at all madrasas in the state, the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government said Friday it too is considering a similar move.
Hinting that the singing of the National Anthem might be made mandatory in madrasas in Madhya Pradesh too, the state’s home minister and government spokesperson, Narottam Mishra said Friday that the country’s National Anthem should be sung everywhere.
“Not only religious places, it should be everywhere,” he said, while speaking to the media Friday. A final decision on this would be taken after a discussion on the matter, he added.
“National Anthem should be everywhere… it’s a good thing. It should be everywhere (played and sung) as it’s our National Anthem. Hence, even we would want that it is everywhere (making singing of national anthem mandatory),” Mishra said.
When asked about Uttar Pradesh making the singing of National Anthem mandatory in madrasas, Mishra said it is definitely something worth considering, and the MP government will take it up for consideration.
“It is an important issue for consideration and we will take it up,” he added.
Meanwhile, Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pall Gujjar told media people Friday that the state may consider the subject if needed.
‘Looked at madrasas with suspicion’
The decision for mandatory singing of the National Anthem in UP madrasas was passed by the state’s minority welfare minister, Danish Azad Ansari. The decision was taken at the meeting of the UP Madarsa Education Board on 24 March and came into effect Friday.
The order issued by Uttar Pradesh evoked stern reaction from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi, who criticised the BJP government for the move.
Owaisi was quoted in the media as saying that UP chief minister Yogi Adiytanath and the BJP “looked at madrasas with suspicion and that’s why they were making such laws”.
This is not the first time that Madhya Pradesh has followed in footsteps of the Uttar Pradesh government. Earlier, the state had started a demolition drive against encroachment and alleged illegal construction using bulldozers, undertaken by the UP government before it.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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