'Muslims can't regard country as deity': Islamic body objects to Vande Mataram Bill
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has objected to a new bill making disrespect to the song 'Vande Mataram' a punishable offense. The board argues that the legislation violates religious freedom and constitutional secularism, specifically noting that the song's depiction of the motherland as a deity conflicts with Islamic doctrine.
Why it matters
The controversy underscores the ongoing tension between nationalistic legislation and the protection of religious minority rights in India.
NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday strongly criticised Parliament’s passage of a Bill that makes alleged disrespect to Vande Mataram a punishable offence, calling it an attack on religious and constitutional freedoms and urging the government not to impose patriotic expressions through legal compulsion.In a press release issued on 31 July, the Muslim body said the legislation was contrary to the constitutional, secular and democratic ethos of the country and amounted to a serious assault on the religious freedom of citizens.
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