Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Friday that singing Vande Mataram was a “matter of choice” and those refusing to sing it could not be dubbed as anti-nationals.

“Singing Vande Mataram is absolutely an individual’s choice. Those who want to sing can sing it, those who don’t, may not. Not singing it does not make one anti-national,” Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Naqvi was quoted as saying. The minister, however, added that if someone deliberately tried to oppose singing then it was in “bad taste”. 

Naqvi’s remarks came hours after a debate to make the national song mandatory for all events disrupted the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly’s session. The Madras High Court, on July 25, had mandated the singing of the national song in schools across Tamil Nadu, at least twice a week.