‘Our faith does not permit us to say Vande Mataram’: SP MLA Abu Azmi in Maharashtra meeting

On Wednesday, 19 July, Samajwadi Party Maharashtra President and MLA Abu Azmi made a controversial comment which led to an enormous protest within the Maharashtra Assembly. This pressured the Speaker Rahul Narwekar to adjourn the home. 

Speaking within the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, the SP chief was elevating the difficulty of riots within the Sambhajinagar district. During the proceedings, he expressed displeasure and claimed that chanting the slogan “Vande Mataram” is unacceptable to him. 

He claimed that his faith doesn’t permit anybody to chant ‘Vande Mataram’ and stated, “Islam teaches us to bow down before the one who created this whole world. According to my religion, if I cannot recite Vande Mataram, then it does not reduce my respect for my country and my patriotism, and no one should have any objection to this.”

हम वो है जिनके पूर्वजों ने इस देश के लिए अपनी जान दी, हम वो है जिन्होंने पाकिस्तान को नहीं भारत को अपना मुल्क माना। हमें इस्लाम सिखाता है की सर उसी के आगे झुकाओ जिसने ये सारा जहान बनाया। मेरे मज़हब के मुताबिक अगर मैं वंदे मातरम नहीं बोल सकता हूँ तो इस से मेरे दिल में मेरे मुल्क… pic.twitter.com/daMQOR8ZdH

— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) July 19, 2023

He added that we are able to’t bow down our heads on Vande Mataram as a result of we consider in a single Allah and we don’t bow our heads even to our mom. 

SP MLA Azmi additional remarked, “Some people say that if one has to live in India, ‘Vande Mataram’ must be chanted. We can not do it. We believe only in one god.”

His contagious remarks on Vande Mataram had been met with steep opposition and BJP MLAs strongly objected to this and staged a protest. Meanwhile, Speaker Rahul Narwekar appealed to the legislators to relax and claimed that Azmi’s remarks are irrelevant to the subject. 

He stated, “Azmi’s comments are irrelevant to the topic. He should focus on the issue listed for the discussion.” However, when the protest continued, the Speaker adjourned the home for ten minutes.

Later, the President of SP’s Maharashtra unit Azmi tried to concern a clarification on the matter. While chatting with reporters exterior the meeting, he stated, “I respect Vande Mantram but I can’t read it because my religion says we can’t bow down to anyone except Allah”.

#WATCH | Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi says, “I respect ‘Vande Mantram’ however I am unable to learn it as a result of my faith says we will not bow right down to anybody besides ‘Allah’. pic.twitter.com/uYJmkR7GWj

— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2023

Responding to the controversy, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis claimed that no faith would counsel anybody not respect their mom. He additionally claimed that Vande Mataram shouldn’t be a non secular track and hundreds of thousands place confidence in it.

He stated, “My request to Abu Azmi is that in this country, millions of people have faith in Vande Mataram. The statement made by him is not appropriate. No religion would suggest not respecting one’s mother. This is not a religious song. Vande Mataram is our national song.”

Reacting sharply to Abu Azmi’s remarks on Vande Mataram, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla launched a scathing assault in opposition to the Samajwadi chief and the newly shaped alliance ‘INDIA’. Abu Azmi

Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla stated, “Samajwadi party is a part of I.N.D.I.A…& its MLA says in the Maharashtra assembly that I will not say Vande Mataram it is against my religion. They go and bow their heads in front of Aurangzeb but shy away from saying Vande Mataram, those who keep India in their name, why their work is always anti-India?”