People need time to adjust to Vande Mataram at official functions: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said people may need time to adjust to Vande Mataram being included in official functions. He said there was no controversy over its singing and stressed that all three verses were performed at the Congress event

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said people will take time to get used to singing the national song as it has been added to official functions only this year. Commenting on the controversy surrounding Congress leaders’ alleged disrespect to Vande Mataram, Abdullah said there should be no controversy as all verses of the national song were sung.

“Congress also gave a clarification from its side. It said, look at the video, all three verses of Vande Mataram were sung there. So what is the controversy here? They were sung. It will take us a little time to get used to it. This is the first time that this has been included. We are also adjusting a little bit,” Abdullah told reporters here.

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A complaint filed with the Delhi Police recently sought registration of an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for alleged obstruction when Vande Mataram was being sung during the party’s Independence Day function at its headquarters in Delhi.

The Congress has asserted that there was no attempt to stop the singing of the full version, while maintaining that in 1937, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Kolkata decided that the initial stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at the Congress sessions. Abdullah said Saturday’s Independence Day parade was the eighth he had attended as the chief minister, but the national song was played for the first time.

“This was my eighth Independence Day parade, but it was for the first time Vande Mataram was included in it. It took me some time to understand that first I will stand up, Vande Mataram will play, then I will unfurl the flag, then the National Anthem will play. Perhaps Congress also took time to adjust; it happens,” he said.

Abdullah refused to comment on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s post on X in which the former chief minister said she was a “dimaagi naxal” as she supported the restoration of Article 370. “Why are you asking me to explain or speak about what she tweets? It is her Twitter account, her daughter runs it, let her tweet what she likes,” he added.

On the student protests in Jharkhand, Abdullah said there must be some truth to the protesters’ demands as the government there has held one round of talks with them. “If the students’ demands are legitimate and correct, then somew here they should sit down and talk. If they are not, then say it straight that their talk has no weight. If one round of talks has taken place, and you are saying there will be a second round, then somewhere there must be some truth to their demands. Whatever you can do, do it,” he added.

The chief minister reiterated that matters such as education and health are state subjects as per the devolution of powers. “This fault is not just of the BJP; various Central governments have played a role in weakening the states. The agencies that have been formed, the powers these agencies have received — it is not just because of the BJP. The UPA government, unfortunately, had a role in this,” he said.

Abdullah said had there not been centralisation of examinations like NEET, BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan would not have had to resign as the exams are held at the state level.

“If there was a lapse in any state, the minister of that state would be at fault, but centralising resulted in a lapse somewhere, and the Central minister had to resign. What belongs to the state should be left to the state; what belongs to the Centre, the Centre should handle. The Centre’s habit of interfering in the states is the reason why Dharmendra Pradhan had to lose his job,” he added.