india

Updated: Jul 23, 2019 00:35 IST

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Centre to give Vande Mataram equal status like the national anthem—Jana Gana Mana. The plea filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, has sought that ‘Vande Mataram’, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, be equally propagated like the national anthem.

In his plea, Upadhyay has said that the national song played a vital role in the Independence movement and was first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.

“Both the ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ have to be equally respected. The sentiments expressed in ‘Jana Gana Mana’ have been expressed keeping state in view…… the sentiments expressed in ‘Vande Mataram’ deserves similar respect,” the plea read. The petition sought that a declaration be made that ‘Vande Mataram’ shall be honoured equally with the song ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and shall have equal status with it.