{"id":206459,"date":"2026-07-29T10:45:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T05:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/?p=206459"},"modified":"2026-07-29T10:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T05:58:19","slug":"will-you-hang-me-for-not-reciting-vande-mataram-aimims-waris-pathan-asks-modi-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/2026\/07\/29\/will-you-hang-me-for-not-reciting-vande-mataram-aimims-waris-pathan-asks-modi-regime.html","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Will you hang me for not reciting Vande Mataram?\u2019, AIMIM\u2019s Waris Pathan asks Modi regime"},"content":{"rendered":"

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New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen spokesperson Waris Pathan has strongly opposed attempts to make recitation of \u2018Vande Mataram\u2019 compulsory, calling it an assault on religious freedom and constitutional rights, amid the BJP\u2019s push to grant the song legal protection equal to the India\u2019s national anthem.<\/p>\n

According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to the media after the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in Rajya Sabha the other day, Pathan said Muslims respect the country and the flag, but cannot recite specific lines of \u2018Vande Mataram\u2019 that conflict with Islamic belief.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always said that we respect Vande Mataram. But there are some lines which a Muslim cannot recite. If those lines are spoken, it becomes shirk according to Islamic belief. We do not worship anyone other than Allah, nor will we ever; we would rather die than do so. And this is my constitutional right under Article 25, which the Supreme Court has also upheld,\u201d Pathan said.<\/p>\n

Challenging the BJP and RSS, he asked: \u201cI respect my nation, but if I do not recite it, then what will you do? Hang me? Shoot me? The BJP and RSS have nothing to do but to threaten people.\u201d Pathan drew a clear distinction between the national anthem \u2018Jana Gana Mana\u2019 and \u2018Vande Mataram\u2019, saying Muslims recite the anthem \u201cwith all our heart and soul\u201d while opposing any coercion on the song.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a Muslim\u2019s religion is not allowing them to recite these things, then you start making allegations that they are not patriotic. This is completely wrong. Our people have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of this country,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The remarks came as the Modi government moves to criminalise disrespect to \u2018Vande Mataram\u2019, a step critics say is aimed at targeting Muslims and other minorities under the guise of nationalism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen spokesperson Waris Pathan has strongly opposed attempts to make recitation of \u2018Vande Mataram\u2019 compulsory, calling it an assault on religious freedom and constitutional rights, amid the BJP\u2019s push to grant the song legal protection equal to the India\u2019s national anthem. According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to the media …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":206483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t