Not singing Vande Mataram? Take away their voting rights, says Shiv Sena

An editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamana, said Sena founder Bal Thackeray was barred from voting for propagandising Hindutva, while refusing to sing Vande Mataram is a grave crime

After asking for a law to make singing the national song, Vande Mataram, compulsory, the Shiv Sena now wants voting rights of those who refuse to sing Vande Mataram to be revoked.

The Shiv Sena said Muslims have been taught to not bow down before anyone but Allah. (File)

An editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamana, said Sena founder Bal Thackeray was barred from voting for propagandising Hindutva, while refusing to sing Vande Mataram is a more serious crime.

The Supreme Court had in 1995 convicted Bal Thackeray for allegedly corrupt electoral practices and advised the country’s president to bar him from voting and contesting elections for six years.

The Sena said in the editorial, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly reined in the gaurakshaks on a rampage, but not singing Vande Mataram is an equally serious issue and leaders cannot afford to be silent on it. It is unfortunate that we have to even demand a law to make singing Vande Mataram compulsory. The only solution is to consider opposition to Vande Mataram as opposition to the country and scrap voting rights of those who oppose it.”

Corporators from the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created a ruckus over the issue in the house.

The Shiv Sena said Muslims have been taught to not bow down before anyone but Allah. “If some token Muslim leaders are still pushing the community in this muck of blind faith then it is detrimental to popular Islam and Islam is in danger because of them,” the Shiv Sena said in the editorial.