Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 13 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday welcomed the Union Home Ministry's directive mandating the singing of all six verses of Vande Mataram before the national anthem, calling it a "matter of pride".
Speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "Vande Mataram has been notified in the gazette; now all Indians should sing Vande Mataram as the national song. This is a matter of pride, and I congratulate the Home Minister for this."
BJP MP Sudha Murthy also expressed support, stating, "I like Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana."
The reactions follow the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) releasing detailed guidelines for the national song Vande Mataram, stating that when both the National Song and the National Anthem are performed at an event, all six stanzas of the official version of Vande Mataram must be presented first.
On Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav welcomed the Union Home Ministry's decision to sing six verses of 'Vande Mataram', stating that the state government will implement the directive immediately.
Speaking to reporters, CM Yadav said, "I not only approve of the decision by the Home Ministry, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, to sing six verses of Vande Mataram before Jana Gana Mana, but also I feel joy that this decision by our Prime Minister will bring the entire nation together with us to remember all those who sacrificed their lives for the country before independence. We are fortunate that the Prime Minister has decided to sing the entire Vande Mataram. The Madhya Pradesh government also supports this decision, and we will implement it immediately in our state."
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh also praised the decision, saying it would play a vital role in inspiring the spirit of nationalism among future generations.
"I believe this auspicious day has arrived quite late. The work that should have been done years ago has now been carried out by Prime Minister Modi. I proudly say that this decision will become a major role to inspire a sense of nationalism among the coming generations in India. I thank Prime Minister Modi from the bottom of my heart, and I feel proud that a decision which should have been taken much earlier was implemented during his tenure," Singh told reporters.
When asked about the implementation of singing verses of 'Vande Mataram' before the national anthem in schools, the minister said that many institutions follow it on their own, and after becoming a law, it would be mandatory for every institution and school to implement it.
"Most schools and institutions follow this on their own, but I believe that when something becomes law, it naturally becomes mandatory for every institution and school to implement it. I would say this is a very good decision," the school minister added.