Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath pays tribute during 'Ekta Yatra' as part of the nationwide celebrations marking 150 years of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary, in Gorakhpur. Photo: Handout via PTI
UP CM makes Vande Mataram compulsory in all schools; 'no new Jinnahs should emerge'
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made the announcement amid ongoing political row over national song; PM Modi claimed key parts of song were dropped in 1937
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Monday (November 10) that singing Vande Mataram will become mandatory in all educational institutions across the state. This announcement came amid an ongoing political row over the national song – important parts of which, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were dropped in 1937.
Speaking at the 'Ekta Yatra' (Unity March) event in Gorakhpur, the UP CM declared that singing Vande Mataram would be made mandatory in all schools and educational institutions across the state.
Respecting the national song
He said the move is aimed at instilling a deep sense of reverence and pride for Bharat Mata among students.
There must be respect for the national song Vande Mataram. We will ensure its singing is compulsory in every educational institution in Uttar Pradesh,” Adityanath was quoted as saying by PTI.
No new Jinnahs in India
At the event, Yogi Adityanath emphasised the need to confront divisive forces, stating that it is the nation’s duty to “identify elements that seek to divide us in the name of caste, region, or language” and warned against those “involved in conspiracies to create new Jinnahs.”
Also read: Maharashtra directs schools to sing full version of ‘Vande Mataram’ for a week
“We must ensure that no new Jinnah ever emerges in India,” he declared in Gorakhpur. “Divisive intentions must be buried before they have a chance to take root.”
Congress slams PM Modi's claim
Meanwhile, the Congress has called on PM Modi to apologise for his remarks on Friday, in which he alleged that key stanzas of Vande Mataram were removed in 1937, a move he claimed contributed to the seeds of partition. Modi further stated that this kind of "divisive mindset" continues to pose a challenge for the nation.
The Congress accused the prime minister of "insulting" both the 1937 Congress Working Committee, which had issued a statement regarding the song, and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
In a post on X on Sunday, party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said, "The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in Kolkata, October 26-November 1, 1937. Those present included Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, J B Kripalani, Bhulabhai Desai, Jamnalal Bajaj, Narendra Deva, and others."
Also read: 'Vande Mataram' should be our national anthem, says Ramgiri Maharaj
Further, he cited The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume 66, page 46, noting that the CWC had issued a statement on Vande Mataram on October 28, 1937 — a statement deeply shaped by Rabindranath Tagore’s guidance.
"The prime minister has not only disrespected that CWC but also Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore,” Ramesh said, adding that it’s shocking, though not unexpected, given that the RSS had no involvement in the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
The Opposition has asked PM Modi to apologise for his remarks, urging him to focus his political discourse on pressing contemporary issues that affect people's daily lives.
Modi had made the controversial statement while launching a year-long celebration to mark 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram.