BJP leader hits out at Vande Mataram fatwa

Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has hit out at the fatwa issued by Darul-uloom-Islam, which had criticised Naqvi as anti-Islamic for supporting the singing of the national song Vande Mataram.

"There is nothing above national pride and Vande Mataram is our national song and one feels proud while singing it. There is nothing anti-Islam in such action. Those who are criticising me or issuing fatwas against me for supporting singing of the national song are spreading the separatist agenda," Naqvi told rediff.com.

He also reminded the so-called scholars of Deoband that they are not living in a theocratic Muslim state, but in a secular republic where all religions are at par with each other.

"How can the so-called scholars tell the Muslims that they should pull out their sons and daughters from the schools where Vande Mataram is sung? They are trying to divert the attention of the Muslim community from socio-economic and education-related problems by issuing fatwas," he said.

He said that no organisation has the right to question his nationalism."Those propogating against Vande Mataram are the true followers of Osama bin Laden," he said.