New Delhi: Endorsing Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh's views, Congress on Monday said the direction to educational institutions on recitation of 'Vande Mataram' was not mandatory but ‘voluntary in nature’ and any community was free to recite it or not.
"Congress party and the country is proud of the national song 'Vande Mataram' which had electrified our freedom fighters and who made umpteen sacrifices."
“Even then if a community or group feels otherwise, they are free to recite it or not. We agree with the Union Minister Arjun Singh in this regard," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.
He said Congress party and the country would be celebrating centenary of the song on September 7, 2006 and all institutions across the country would be reciting the song at 1100 hrs, IST.
Seeking to quell the controversy over a central directive for the recitation of the song in schools, Singh had said yesterday while addressing a minority academic institution in Varanasi that it was not mandatory.
“The recitation of the song was aimed at paying tributes to freedom fighters and martyrs,” he said.
"The song should not be viewed otherwise," Singh said referring to protests by the Samajwadi Party and some Muslim organisations against the directive.
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