Kolkata: Political row between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) remains unabated even on Thursday over compulsory singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ before the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
State education minister Bratya Basu addressing a press conference claimed that the Hindu outfits including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) don't like Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
“RSS and other Hindu outfits never liked the open-mindedness of Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore is still taught in several countries. Now making ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory before 'Jana Gana Mana’ is a push towards hierarchy,” said Basu.
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State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘Bankim Da’ comment and questioned whether this notification of singing ‘Vande Mataram’ before the national anthem is a ‘balm on the wound’.
Notably, for the last few elections TMC has called BJP ‘outsiders’ and portrayed themselves as ‘custodian of Bengali pride’. Now ahead of the Assembly elections this notification of compulsory singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ has been called as ‘the attempt is to restore it to its full dignity’ by the saffron camp.
