NEW DELHI: Congress MP Imran Masood on Monday said that he would respect the national song but would not sing it, citing his constitutional right to practise his religion.His statement came amid row over the recitation of Vande Mataram involving grand old party high-command Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.While speaking on the Vande Mataram row, Masood told news agency ANI, “I cannot worship anyone except Allah. This right has been bestowed on me by the Constitution. You cannot snatch away this right from me. But, I won’t insult it (Vande Mataram). I won’t sing it but I will rise for it…”The Congress MP said he had never sung Vande Mataram and would not do so in the future, but would stand when it is recited.“Go ahead and promote Vande Mataram if you want to. What difference does it make to me? I will do only as much as I want to, and I will do that. I have never sung it before, and I will not sing it in the future either. I will simply stand up. I have the constitutional right to follow my religion. First, read the complete history of Vande Mataram. Then come and talk to me. Read about where it came from, how it was written, and why it was written. Read the entire history first; after that, I will explain it to you…” Masood told IANS.The remarks came after the BJP lodged a complaint against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the Vande Mataram row.Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh, Union home minister Amit Shah alleged that Sonia had asked party workers to stop the rendition while it was being sung at the Congress headquarters on Saturday.“Look at their (Congress’s) shamelessness. The anthem Vande Mataram was being sung at the
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Congress Party headquarters. During the anthem, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi told the Congress President to stop singing. We all just kept watching on TV,” Shah said.He directly addressed Sonia Gandhi, saying, “Sonia ji, 140 crore people are watching you. This sin you have committed will never be forgiven by the people of this country.”Sonia Gandhi had earlier clarified that she was asking for a chair for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and had no intention of stopping the recitation of Vande Mataram.This year’s Independence Day marked the first formal full rendition of Vande Mataram.
