Gorakhpur/Lucknow, Nov. 11 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced that singing "Vande Mataram" will be made compulsory in all educational institutions of Uttar Pradesh, asserting that no religion stands above the nation. The move coincides with the year-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the national song penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and included in his novel Anand Math in 1882. Stating that those who oppose the national song are insulting India's unity and integrity, he urged people to ensure that no new Jinnah ever arises in India again, and if anyone dares to challenge the nation's integrity, "we must bury such divisive intent before it can take root." The chief minister said every citizen of India must stand united for this cause. Addressing an 'Ekta Yatra' (Unity March) event in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said singing Vande Mataram in educational institutions would inspire feelings of reverence and pride among citizens towards Bharat Mata and the motherland. Yogi's announcement came two days after the Samajwadi Party Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq objected to singing of Vande Mataram, saying: "Certain lines of the national song go against his religious beliefs..."My religion allows me to worship only one Allah, so I cannot bow before any other entity. I love my country and am loyal to it, but I cannot worship it. This is both my religious and constitutional right." Barq made the statement at his residence in Sambhal on Saturday. The Ekta Yatra (Unity March) was organised in Gorakhpur to mark the ongoing 150th birth anniversary celebrations of India's first deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Describing the national song as a symbol of India's unity and pride, Yogi emphasised that students must begin their day with Vande Mataram to instil patriotism and respect for the nation's heritage. He directed education authorities to ensure that all educational institutions, both government and private, include the song as part of their daily morning prayers or assemblies. "No religion can be greater than the nation. The national song Vande Mataram will now be sung mandatorily in all schools, colleges, and universities across the state," he said. The chief minister's announcement received enthusiastic applause from the gathering. "Every Indian should feel proud to sing Vande Mataram. It reflects our spirit of nationalism and connects us with the soul of Mother India," the chief minister added. "This is not just a song; it's a feeling of devotion to the nation. We must honour it with full respect in every school and college of Uttar Pradesh," he said. Vande Mataram was officially adopted as India's national song by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950. Recalling the role of "Vande Mataram" in the freedom movement, Adityanath said, "It was this song that awakened the nation's consciousness. Every revolutionary, the youth, women, and children who fought for freedom did so with Vande Mataram on their lips." He accused the Congress of "appeasement politics", noting that it opposed the national song in the past, while hitting out at the Samajwadi Party. Referring to All-India Muslim League leaders Mohammad Ali Jinah and Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Adityanath said, "Those who tried to distort or oppose Vande Mataram weakened India's unity." The "venom" started spreading against the national song after Jauhar refused to stand up for it in the 1923 Congress session, he said. "When Mohammad Ali Jauhar (co-founder of All India Muslim League) opposed the song at the 1923 Congress session, it marked the beginning of division within the country," he added. Rabindranath Tagore had sung the full song at a Congress session in 1896, the chief minister added. "From 1896 to 1922, Vande Mataram was sung at every Congress session, but in 1923, when Jauhar became the Congress president, he walked out as soon as the song began and refused to participate. Brothers and sisters, that opposition to Vande Mataram became one of the unfortunate causes of India's Partition," he said. "If only the Congress had expelled Jauhar at the time and honoured national unity through Vande Mataram, the Partition of India would never have happened," Adityanath said. He also cited the 1937 Congress committee's recommendation to modify parts of the song for allegedly portraying "Bharat Mata" as "Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati". Adityanath also accused the Samajwadi Party of continuing the "legacy of opposing national unity", saying, "Some people refuse to attend Patel's birth anniversary but do not hesitate to honour (Mohammed Ali) Jinnah (All India Muslim League leader). Such double standards are dangerous for national integrity." The chief minister warned against "forces that divide society on caste, language, or regional lines". Taking a swipe at Zia-ur-Rahman Barq's remark, Adityanath said, "Those who insult India's great leaders and revolutionaries, in a way, strengthen the confidence of separatist forces that challenge the country's unity and nationalism." "Even today, we expect everyone living in India to be loyal to the nation and work for its unity," he said while participating in 'Ekta Yatra' (Unity March) and collective singing of "Vande Mataram" in Gorakhpur. He said when events were organised to mark the 150th anniversary of "Vande Mataram", the same voices of opposition resurfaced. "A Samajwadi Party MP again protested against the national song. These are the same people who skip the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of India's integrity, but shamelessly attend events honouring Jinnah," Adityanath said. He asked if the country fails to honour its national heroes, where will it go? The extremism, Naxalism, and terrorism that constantly challenge India's unity and integrity are fuelled by those who insult national icons and revolutionaries, the chief minister said. Such actions embolden separatist forces that threaten the country's national identity, he added. "It is now our duty to identify and oppose all elements that divide society, whether in the name of caste, region, or language. These divisions are part of a conspiracy to create new Jinnahs," he said. A political row over the national song erupted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said that dropping key stanzas of the song in 1937 had "sown the seeds of Partition" and such a "divisive mindset" remained a challenge for the country, remarks seen as an attack on the Congress. The Opposition parties have termed chief minister Yogi Adityanath's statement on making Vande Mataram compulsory in all UP educational institutions as a mere diversionary tactic while clerics have said the focus should be on quality of education and such issues should not involve schools. Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav said, "When the Constitution was made at that time, it must have been discussed properly with the stakeholders that which song will be our National Anthem and which song will be our National Song. Only after a thorough discussion, it must have been decided. There should be no compulsion and everyone should have freedom." "I studied at a military school and there we used to sing the National Anthem every day. The BJP is trying to run the government on emotions," Yadav said at a press conference at the SP headquarters in Lucknow on Monday. Reacting to the chief minister's announcement, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai said that such statements are given by BJP people to divert attention from core issues. "These comments are nothing but a diversionary tactic which BJP leaders use. Instead of talking about regulating fees in private schools in the state, the priority of BJP is to make Vande Matram a compulsion. One should be given a choice to sing or not to sing Vande Mataram." Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh said, "Will the problems of electricity, fertilizer, unemployment be solved by singing Vande Mataram?" All India Muslim Personal Law Board executive committee member and Islamic Centre of India chairperson Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, "The National Anthem is compulsory and it is regularly recited in all the schools. However, there was no legal boundation to recite the national song. I think there should be no legal boundation to compulsorily recite it." "The focus should be on quality education in schools and educational institutions should not be involved in such issues," he said . While the latest controversy in UP was triggered by the Samajwadi Party's Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, it is not new in UP. Barq on Saturday said that his grandfather and former MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq had also consistently opposed singing Vande Mataram. He clarified that he holds deep respect for the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' and regularly sings it, but added that no one can be compelled to sing the national song. "My religion allows me to worship only one Allah, so I cannot bow before any other entity. I love my country and am loyal to it, but I cannot worship it. This is both my religious and constitutional right," Barq asserted. He further said that the Supreme Court, in a 1986 Kerala case involving three expelled students, had ruled that no citizen could be forced to sing 'Vande Mataram'. "This is not my personal view- the Supreme Court has already made it clear. Respect for the nation and the national anthem is a separate matter," he added. Recalling a similar controversy from the past, the Sambhal MP noted that his grandfather, Shafiqur Rahman Barq, had walked out of Parliament during the singing of 'Vande Mataram' when he was a BSP MP from Sambhal during Mayawati's tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister. The incident had then led to a major political uproar. Earlier, nearly a fortnight after the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government was sworn in UP, a major controversy over Vande Matram erupted in the Meerut Municipal Corporation when the house meeting began with Vanda Matram. Seven Muslim councillors walked out of the house and when they returned after the singing was over, they were not allowed to re-enter. In 2009, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in Deoband issued a fatwa, asking Muslims not to sing the national, song saying: "We love our country and have proved this several times, but 'Vande Mataram' violates our faith in monotheism that is the foundation of our faith"....