New Delhi: Just two days after the Kamal-Nath led Congress in Madhya Pradesh ruled that it was no longer compulsory for government employees to sing Vande Matram on the first day of every month at the secretariat, the state government has changed its tune.

More so, the singing shall now be aided by the police band, which Nath said “would play the tunes that encourage patriotic feelings during their march from Shaurya Samarak to Vallabh Bhawan in Bhopal”. Upon the band’s arrival at the secretariat, the national anthem and Vande Matram would be sung from February onwards.

#MadhyaPradesh CM Kamal Nath: At 10:45 am on first working day of every month,police band will play the tunes that encourage patriotic feelings during their march from Shaurya Samarak to Vallabh Bhawan in Bhopal.On arrival at the Bhawan, National Anthem&Vande Mataram will be sung pic.twitter.com/B516wGW3l1 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019

According to some reports, Nath had said the singing was discontinued because there was a lack of participation by employees, and had added that he wanted to relaunch the event in a different manner.

Singing the national song on the first day of every month was first made compulsory in 2005. January 1, 2019, was the first day that the song was not sung in years.

When Nath, who holds the portfolio of General Administration Department (GAD), which is responsible for organising the monthly event, had announced the end of the 14-year tradition, he had been hit by a slew of criticism. In fact, some Congress ministers, including P.C. Sharma and Jitu Patwari, said that the move was simply an oversight.

“The decision has not been taken as part of any agenda. We are not against singing Vande Mataram…It’s a wrong to link patriotism and nationalism with day’s singing of Vande Mataram. Are those people who don’t sing Vande Mataram not patriots?” Nath had said.

“We believe that we are nationalist by hearts. One cannot become patriotic by reciting Vande Mataram for one day,” he added.

However, the chief minister then changed tack. “It is wrong to do politics on Vande Mataram. They do politics on everything from Ram temple to Vande Mataram. I condemn this. I will give a new ‘roop’ (look) to Vande Mataram,” Kamal Nath told reporters on January 2.

Also read: Ill Man Harassed for Not Standing Up for National Anthem at Film Screening

Former BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had expressed shock at the decision of ending the practice and had demanded that the event be restored. He had vowed that he and all other BJP legislators would sing the national song at the secretariat before taking oath on January 7.

“The song renders new energy to the patriotism present in the hearts of people. This is extremely unfortunate that the Congress has ended this convention. Today, Vande Mataram was not sung… Congress perhaps has forgotten that governments come and go, but there is nothing more important than the country and patriotism. I demand that the song is sung before a cabinet meeting as always, and it should also be sung at Vallabh Bhawan on the first day of the month,” he tweeted.

हम सभी 7 जनवरी को मंत्रालय परिसर में #वंदेमातरम् का गायन करेंगे। आप सभी इसमें अवश्य शामिल हों। हमारी नजर अगले महीने की एक तारीख पर भी बनी रहेगी। कांग्रेस को समझना होगा कि वंदेमातरम् दलीय राजनीति से ऊपर है। सरकारों के आने-जाने से इसे प्रभावित नहीं किया जाना चाहिए। — ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) January 3, 2019

During a rally on January 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took a dig at Nath. Referring to Nath’s alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said, “Those who are hesitant to say Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai. Those who have been involved in the massacre of Sikhs. People must be beware of them.”