Chidambaram, Swami Ramdev should apologise: Vinay Katiyar

Lucknow, Nov 7 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Vinay Katiyar Saturday asked union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and renowned yoga guru Swami Ramdev to 'apologise to the country for hurting the sentiments' of people.

He asked them to apologise for participating at a convention of Muslim clerics who recirculated an old fatwa against singing "Vande mataram". The Muslim objection to parts of the national song is almost a century old.

"In my view the participation of Chidambaram and Ramdev at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind convention cannot be justified under any circumstance. It's anti-national and they should apologise to the country for their anti-national act," Katiyar told reporters.

"By attending the Jaimiat Ulema-e-Hind's convention, where the fatwa was issued against our national song, both Chidambaram and Swami Ramdev have made a mockery of the Indian Constitution," he said.

The BJP leader was speaking in Ambedkar Nagar district, about 200 km from Lucknow.

Katiyar said if Chidambaram fails to apologise, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should intervene and take action against the minister.

"Manmohan Singh should intervene at least for the sake of country's constitution," he added.

--IANS