Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Samik Bhattacharya said on Thursday that the state government’s decision to make the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory in state-run schools is the party’s tribute to its writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Speaking to IANS, Bhattacharya said: “Bringing ‘Vande Mataram’ into schools is part of our agenda, and we will continue to do this.”

“It is BJP’s tribute to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on 150 years of the national song,” he added.

Moreover, Bhattacharya alleged that the Congress had “rejected” ‘Vande Mataram’.

The State BJP Chief said: “If Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was not driven out of Congress, he could have said that I do not believe in two nations. ‘India cannot be and will not be divided’.”

He alleged that the seeds of India’s partition were sown on the day ‘Vande Mataram’ was rejected.

“Today the new generation wants to know about the national song and so we will continue doing this,” Bhattacharya added.

Meanwhile, political parties in West Bengal welcomed the state government’s decision to make the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ compulsory in state-run schools.

At the same time, opposition parties in the state said that the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, must not be compromised in any way.​

Speaking to IANS, BJP leader Shatorupa said that singing Vande Mataram in schools would instill a sense of national pride and patriotism among students.​

The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, said that it had no issue with the national song being sung in schools as it was penned by a Bengali.​

The Congress also welcomed the BJP-led Bengal government’s move.​

Separately, the Bengal BJP Chief responded to questions regarding the Bar Council of India writting to the State Bar Council seeking information regarding the legal practice of the former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Speaking to reporters, Bhattacharya said: “The courts will handle judicial matters; we are a political party and not merely a brass band?”

“The Bharatiya Janata Party has one objective: to bring industries to the state and to restore proper law and order. Our sole duty is to uphold the trust that the people of West Bengal have placed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the State BJP Chief added.

–IANS

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