No compromise on respect to national symbols: Advani

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition Lal Kishanchand Advani on Friday said that there could be no compromise on issues concerning national symbols notwithstanding the multi-ethnic nature of Indian society.

Taking exception to the debate on making singing of national song Vande Mataram "mandatory or optional," Advani said India despite being a multi-ethnic and multi cultural society, had patriotic spirit and nationalistic sentiments uppermost in the minds of the people.

"I believe that there should be no compromise on issues concerning national flag, national anthem and national song. Our (tri-colour) flag is a symbol of our nationalism. Can anybody think of disrespecting it?" Advani asked while releasing a book written by his BJP colleague and former Union Minister Ram Naik.

He said the national anthem written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, national song by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and the tri-colour were all adopted by the Constituent Assembly as symbols of the nation and nobody could think of disrespecting them.

Commending the positive approach adopted by Naik, a five-time member of Parliament and three time legislator from Maharashtra, in using all the available democratic fora in the country in a constructive manner, Advani said it was his initiative that compelled Lok Sabha to conclude its session with the singing of the national song, which was accorded 'equal status and respect' of national anthem since 1992.

"It was Naik's perseverance that made the General Purposes Committee, headed by then Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil unanimously resolve that every Lok Sabha session will conclude with Vande Mataram. After the decision was taken, some MPs, belonging to one community, objected to it and some people who took the decision tended to develop cold feet.

"When the BJP insisted that its members would sing Vande Mataram alone if the House did not agree, it was decided that the every Lok Sabha session would commence with the national anthem and conclude with the national song," Advani said adding, that even those who had opposed the singing of Vande Mataram had complied with the wishes of the nation.