A madrassa in Muradnagar area of Ghaziabad on Independence Day decided to sing Allama Iqbal's "Sare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara, Hum Bulbule Hain Iski, Ye Gulsitan Hamara" instead of the National anthem.



After the flag hoisting ceremony, Qari Khalil Ahmad, manager of Noorpur's madrassa Darul Uloom Shadia suddenly stopped the students from singing "Jana Gan Man...." and asked them to sing "Sare Jahan?." He reportedly told the students that the national anthem was completely against the ethics of the madrassa. However, he didn't elaborate it to them. He later asked the students to sing Iqbal's poem instead.



However, when asked, Ahmad told the press that he didn't have any contempt for the national anthem but "Sare Jahan Se Achcha is also a patriotic song and I don't see any problem is singing it on Independence Day", he said.

While Iqbal was a noted Urdu poet, he was also remembered for pushing the idea of a separate country out of India in 1930.



Pakistani Flag unfurled in Gorakhpur



In another incident, a youth in Gorakhpur unfurled Pakistani flag in front of his house. However, Shaukat Ali, father of the boy tendered his apology and said, "We are true nationalists since many generations. My son is immature and doesn't understand the right and the wrong. I feel ashamed of his act and tender an apology to everybody who disliked his act."

His son Afroz Ansari unfurled Pakistani flag in front of his house on August 15. He also spread the tricolour on the ground and put a chair on it to stand upon and unfurl the Pak flag. Later, he also posted his picture on a social website. The police have detained Afroz for interrogation.