Several prominent Muslim organizations across India have strongly opposed the central government’s recent notification mandating the recitation of all verses of Vande Mataram at official events, schools and colleges, calling the move unconstitutional and a violation of religious freedom.
The order, which requires the full version of the national song to be recited before the National Anthem at government functions and educational institutions, has triggered sharp reactions from sections of the Muslim leadership.
Arshad Madani, President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, described the decision as “extremely biased and forcibly imposed.”
“This is not just a partisan decision, it is an attempt to hurt the religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution,” Madani said. “Loving the country is different from worshipping it. We have no objection to anyone singing Vande Mataram, but Muslims cannot recite portions that conflict with their faith.”
He argued that certain verses of the song contain references to deities that contradict Islamic monotheism and cited Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board also objected to the notification. Its General Secretary, Mohammed Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, said the move ignored historical consensus that only the first two stanzas of the song were to be used in national contexts.
Referring to pre-independence discussions, he said that Rabindranath Tagore had advised Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937 that only the opening stanzas be adopted, as later verses could conflict with monotheistic beliefs. The Congress Working Committee subsequently endorsed that position.
Mufti Muhammad Saeed al-Rahman Qasmi said courts had previously held that no citizen could be compelled to sing a song that violates their religious beliefs. “Forcing such recitation undermines both constitutional values and national unity,” he said.
Offering a more cautious approach, Sayed Asim Waqar, national spokesperson of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), urged restraint. “Muslims should keep silent on this issue,” he said. “Public confrontation will only create unnecessary tension.”
AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman, commenting on the Home Ministry’s new guidelines, said, “This is a secular India. Our Indian secularism teaches us to follow our own religion and respect the religion of others. That is what Article 25 of the Constitution says.”
From southern India, Mohamed Maqsood Imran Rashadi, Chief Imam and Khateeb of Jamia Masjid Bengaluru, emphasized that Muslims respect the National Anthem and said such controversies should not disturb peace. “The notification should be withdrawn to avoid communal tensions,” he said.
The notification comes ahead of key elections in West Bengal, leading some leaders to question its timing. Critics allege the move risks deepening divisions rather than strengthening unity.
Muslim organizations have demanded that the central government withdraw the notification immediately. Some have indicated they may challenge the decision in court if it is not reconsidered.