Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that opposing Vande Mataram or making insulting remarks against national symbols was “nothing short of treason,” as he attacked the Samajwadi Party and Congress during the Budget Session of the state Legislative Council.
Speaking in the House, Adityanath accused opposition parties of misleading people in the name of the Constitution while allegedly disrespecting the National Song. “You see how statements are made in support of anti-national elements or derogatory comments are passed against symbols of national pride. This is nothing short of treason,” he said.
He reminded members that Vande Mataram was accorded recognition by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950, and said it symbolises India’s pride and honour. “Every Indian has a duty to respect the Tricolour, the national anthem, the national song and national icons,” he said.
The chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for issuing a notification making the National Song mandatory at public functions, as part of the 150th year celebrations of Vande Mataram. He said opposing it was an insult to the Constitution and its makers, including B. R. Ambedkar.
“I want to ask the Samajwadi Party and Congress, on one hand you mislead the public in the name of the Constitution, and on the other, your members say they will not stand for Vande Mataram. What does it mean? You want to live in India but have a problem with the national anthem and national song? This cannot be accepted,” he said.
Responding to the discussion on the Governor’s address, Adityanath alleged that the opposition’s conduct in the House was indecorous and disrespectful to constitutional offices. He said it was the responsibility of all members to uphold constitutional arrangements and not send the wrong message to future generations.
Highlighting his government’s performance, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh had transformed over the past nine years. “The state which was once known as upadrav pradesh has now become utsav pradesh,” he said, adding that the state had moved from a “fear zone to a faith zone.”
He claimed that before 2017, criminals enjoyed political patronage and law and order had deteriorated. “Na curfew, na danga, UP mein sab changa,” he said, asserting that there had been no communal riots or curfews since his government came to power.
The chief minister also cited large gatherings at religious events as a sign of public trust, saying crores of devotees attended the Maha Kumbh and Magh Mela in recent years. He described Uttar Pradesh as a “Triveni of technology, trust and transportation” and said welfare schemes, investment promotion and employment initiatives under the BJP’s double engine government had made the state safer and more investment-friendly.
