Arrest clerics who passed fatwa against Vande Mataram: VHP

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today demanded immediate registration of FIR and arrest of all the Muslim clerics, who passed the controversial fatwa asking Muslims not to recite 'Vande Mataram' branding the act as 'anti-national.

International general secretary of the VHP, Praveen Togadia reacted sharply against the adoption of the resolution here on Friday, while addressing a press conference.

He said, "Vande Mataram is the national song adopted in the Indian Constitution and it has the same status in the constitution as the national anthem."

"Disrespect to national song is an anti-national act and hence all the clerics of 'Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind', who adopted the resolution must be booked under laws relating to the anti national and subversive acts."

He said that Vande Mataram is not against any religion, rather it is patriotic and should be recited and respected.

Responding to a question, he said, "How can the union home minister plead ignorance about the passage of such a resolution from the same congregation, which he attended himself."

Taking a dig at the statement of the home minister about his ignorance of the resolution, Togadia said, "Mr Chidambaram should have acted immediately against those, who have engaged in such an anti-national act," and demanded a public apology from the union home minister.

The Jamiat-Ulema-e Hind had passed a resolution at its annual meeting in Deoband on November 3, asking members of the community not to recite Vande Mataram and supported seminary Darul Uloom's edict, which opposes any prayer involving the song.