Nobody needs to be forced to chant: RSS

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Fatwa against chanting of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' a well-planned conspiracy: Giriraj Singh

LUCKNOW: Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Friday issued a fatwa against chanting of " Bharat Mata ki jai ", saying that the slogan goes against the tenets of Islam."'Bharat Mata', according to some Hindu sects, is a goddess and they worship her. For Muslims worshiping a goddess would be un-Islamic," the fatwa said.The fatwa added, "We love our country, but we do not worship it, Islam allows worshiping only one God."Condemning the fatwa issued by leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, minister of state for food processing Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Friday said denying people to chant "Bharat Mata ki jai" slogan amounted to insulting the freedom fighters."It is showing the fundamentalist side of Islam. Denying 'Bharat Mata ki jai' shows disrespect to martyrs of the country. It shows their mentality. They should understand that they are not living in Pakistan," said Jyoti.Recently at an event in Luckow on March 28, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said "nobody needs to be forced to raise the slogan and that efforts should be made to build a "great" India that is hailed across the globe voluntarily."We have to create such a great India where people themselves chant 'Bharat Mata ki jai' ... it need not be imposed," Bhagwat said.The RSS chief had stirred a controversy recently with his remark that the younger generation needed to be taught to hail "Mother India".In apparent retaliation, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had said he would not chant "Bharat Mata ki jai" as he was not obliged to do it under the Constitution and that he would not do so even if a "knife is put to my throat".The issue snowballed into a political slugfest with the Shiv Sena, BJP and other parties slamming the Hyderabad MP over his stand.Maharashtra assembly suspended an AIMIM MLA after he refused to chant the slogan, while the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a censure motion condemning Owaisi.Amid the escalating row Advani had said in Gandhinagar, "I don't want to comment on it. This is a meaningless controversy ('yeh ek vyarth vivad hai')".