Participating in the Pandit Deendayalji Jayanthi and Vande Mataram Week observance by the BJP on September 25, Professor Bal Apte, M.P. and vice-president of the BJP, said that Vande Mataram symbolises the essence of nationalism and Panditji was the unadulterated icon of nationalism. He said Vande Mataram is the ?Bijamantra? of our nation and Sonia by not attending the function organised at the Congress H.Q. to celebrate 100 years of it, had proved she is Manio and not Gandhi.
He said Vande Mataram was coined by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, as a combination of Bengali and Sanskrit and he was aware of the power and sentiments of the words. ?The song inspired the nation, it became the symbol of nationalism and became the battle cry of freedom and congressmen sang it despite opposition from Muslims. Freedom fighters in jail and those going to the gallows sang it till their last breath. Bal Apteji said that Jinnah had the audacity to walkout of a meeting when it was sung and adviced Nehru to abandon it. He thought since Hindus went with him in support of Khilafat, Nehru will agree to it. But luckily Nehru refused.? Apteji said that finally Jinnah forced Congress to accept, just two stanzas of the song in lieu of Muslim support.
Apteji continued that the Constituent Assembly chaired by Dr. Rajendra Prasad gave equal importance to Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram. ?In fact the Constituent Assembly started with Vande Mataram.?
Apteji thundered that if you have to live in a nation, you have to respect its national symbols and emotions and one who refuses to perform his national duty has no right to live in this country.
Prof. Bal Apte concluded that the vote bank politics professed by the UPA and several pseudo-secular parties have compromised national interests and security. Their appeasement policies have given anti-national forces audacity to attack national sentiments and emotions.
Shri O. Rajagopal, former Union Minister of State who spoke on the occasion said, when Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, has adopted a national song which praises the country as its mother, why Indian Muslims should resist singing in praise of Bharat Mata. He also called upon the BJP cadres to work towards taking the nation to Panditji'sconcept of Dharma Rajya.
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