West Bengal makes Vande Mataram must in madrasas: CM
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said his government has made singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory in registered madrasas.
Adhikari, while attending a programme at the National Library here, accused the previous Mamata Banerjee government of allowing infiltrators into the state and changing its demography.
“Rest assured... With a nationalist government that gives primacy to retaining the ‘Sanatani’ tradition at the helm, the state’s borders will be secured and every infiltrator will be pushed back,” he said. “Our government has made the singing of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory in state schools and registered madrasas,” he said.
He alleged that the previous TMC Government did not allow the BJP and other Hindutva organisations to celebrate December 6 as ‘Shaurya Diwas’ to mark the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. “The day the nation was celebrating the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January 2024, the then CM was using the entire government machinery to hold a rally against the temple,” he added.
Adhikari alleged that Sanatanis faced attacks under the Left and TMC regimes. “We have to save Sanatan Dharma as the people of West Bengal have chosen to prevent the state from becoming West Bangladesh,” he said.
Adhikari praised Hindutva ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee for being instrumental in creating a “Hindu homeland of West Bengal” during the Partition of India.
“Otherwise, our ancestors would have faced serious consequences... Partition pangs still rankle the minds of Hindu Bengalis,” he said.
Adhikari said the BJP-led government was committed to protect cows and enforced legislations in this regard.
He pledged to protect and uphold the glory of ‘saffron’, saying, “A section of media had wrongly described a demonstration as ‘saffron tandav’, which is not acceptable. You could have called the agitation by political groups but don’t dare point fingers at saffron. That is sacrilegious.” The CM said his government was changing the names of roads to personalities associated with the nation’s heritage and spiritual past and a committee has been formed in this regard.
“Occasions like Durga Puja should retain our Sanatani values, rituals and tradition... No puja will be inaugurated on ‘Pitri Paksha’, as was practiced during the TMC rule,” he said. He said Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated for setting up a pilgrimage circuit from Tarapith to Tarakeswar to promote religious tourism.
Adhikari also promised to create more job opportunities and develop the state.
He also paid respects to RSS national general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who was the keynote speaker of the programme. “He has worked for fostering nationalist spirit, devoted his life to nation-building, and remains a well-wisher of West Bengal,” Adhikari said, while describing RSS as the world’s largest social organisation upholding Hindutva values.
