Protest against Vande Mataram is wrong: Khurshid

Bareilly, Nov 4 : Terming the protest against Vande Mataram 'wrong' and 'uncalled for', Union Minority Welfare and Corporate Affairs Minister for State (Independent Charge) Salman Khurshid today said there was nothing objectionable in the national song.

''A protest against Vande Mataram is certainly not welcomed as after independence, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and several leaders had removed the objectionable part of the song,'' he pointed out while talking to UNI here.

It was only after this excercise that Vande Mataram was adopted as a national song. At this point of time, it should not be involved in controversy, he said.

Mr Khurshid said the decision of our great leaders, taken years ago, should be respected by everyone.

The Jamiat-e-Ulema, in its national conference in Deoband in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh yesterday resolved not to recite Vande Mataram. Taking the protest against Madarsa Board in the same vein, he said expressing reservation against the proposed board was the same as the protest against Vande Mataram.

In reply to a question, Mr Khurshid claimed that the Centre was going to implement the recommendations of Sachar committee report in toto.

He said the Centre was spending Rs 990 crore for the welfare of people belonging to minorities in this fiscal. He said Rs nine thousand crore had already been spent on scholorship of children from minority community last year.

Answering a question on Satyam scam, he said India had shown its power by rejuvenating the company after the scam. ''Moral values in a corporate sector is a must,'' the senior Congress leader added.

--UNI

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