Lucknow: The controversy over Vande Mataram has erupted once again. This time, some Muslims refused to stand up while the Vande Mataram was being played at a Nagar Panchayat meeting. The Muslims cited religious reasons for not standing up for the Vande Mataram.

Bajrang Dal members, who were present there, forced Muslims leaders to stand up for Vande Mataram and asked them to sing the song. The Muslims agreed to stand up for the song but refused to sing it.





The incident took place in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday. It may be recalled that singing of Vande Mataram at all civic bodies’ meetings across Uttar Pradesh was made compulsory in March last year, after the Yogi Adityanath government came to power in the state.

Recently, a proposal to terminate the membership of a group of Muslim councillors was passed in the Meerut Municipal Corporation House after the leaders staged a walkout during the singing of the song.

This was after seven Muslim corporators refused to sing along with the other leaders, following which they faced expulsion.