Muslim councillors in UP face expulsion for not singing Vande Mataram

This is the first time that the councillors are facing tough action

A group of seven Muslim councillors from the Meerut civic body in Uttar Pradesh were on the verge of facing expulsion on Tuesday after they refused to sing Vande Mataram and walked out instead.

While the patriotic poem was being recited, a group of Muslim councillors left the Municipal Corporation House meeting hall. The councillors were taunted by their colleagues on their way out.



It was the first municipal board meeting since the new BJP state government led by Yogi Adityanath came to power.

Mayor Shrikant Ahluwalia proposed that whoever refused to sing Vande Mataram should be expelled and that singing it should be made mandatory.

The proposal, however,  was not allowed by the Municipal Commissioner.

Many Muslims refuse to recite the poem in its entirety because the later verses have a religious connotation. Muslim members were ready to move court against this because it is against their religious beliefs.

"The seven Muslim councillors had walked out on Tuesday when other members started singing the national song. They returned after some time, but I refused to let them in," Ahluwalia was quoted as telling the Press Trust of India.

"We will not allow members who are against the singing of Vande Mataram to sit in the House. We will even go to jail if required," he said.



"We are being looked at with suspicion even when we are ready to lay down our lives for our country," Shaahid Abbasi who is one of the councillors.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s representative Khalid Rasheed said that if they stayed and refused to sing, it would be fine, but by leaving the room, they gave the appearance of a walkout, and the councillors should have considered that.

BJP has the most members in the 80-member house in Meerut, which has 25 Muslim councillors.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India ordered cinemas throughout the country to play the national anthem before screenings but only the western state of Maharashtra made it compulsory to do so.

This article originally appeared on NDTV