Venkaiah Naidu on Vande Mataram row: Would you salute Afzal Guru if not your mother?

Reacting to objections raised by some sections of the society on singing 'Vande Mataram', Vice President Venkaiah Naidu asked, “If not your mother, who would you salute, Afzal Guru”.

Recalling the Supreme Court's 1995 verdict on Hindutva, Naidu said, "Hinduism is not a narrow concept, it is a broader cultural connotation of India."

"Vande Mataram ke baare mein vivaad hota hai, 'Maa tujhe salaam'. Maa ko salaam nahi karenge toh kisko karenge? Afzal Guru ko karenge kya? (Vande Mataram' is an ode to the motherland, what is the problem with it? if you don't salute your mother, who would you salute, Afzal Guru),” he asked.

I want to tell people Bharat Mata ki Jai is not just about one photo, it is about all 125 crore people living in this country irrespective of their caste, colour, creed and religion.

They all are Indians," Naidu said speaking at the release of a book on former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief late Ashok Singhal. Naidu went on to describe Singhal as the finest proponents of Hinduism. He sacrificed 75 years of his life for the future, Naidu further added.

The vice president made the remarks after some politicians called for singing the national anthem instead of “Vande Mataram" at schools and other institutions, sparking a controversy. Afzal Guru was given the capital punishment for hatching the conspiracy behind the attack on Indian Parliament in December 2001 which led to the death of 14 people, including six security personnel.