Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 13 (ANI): Raza Academy President Muhammad Saeed Noori on Friday termed the Union Government's recent directive making the recitation of Vande Mataram mandatory as illegal.

Speaking to ANI, Saeed Noori stated that forcing citizens to participate in rituals forbidden by their respective faiths would lead to widespread resentment.

He said, 'This law being made regarding Vande Mataram or the government being forced to make its recitation compulsory and mandatory is illegal. In our country, people of all faiths have the freedom to adhere to their faith and follow it. This is against that as well and will create grief and anger among the people, and they are being forced to do things forbidden in our religion.'

'This government wants to keep people entangled in this issue and to cover up the allegations against them at the international level, and they have failed in all ways to progress the country...', Noori added.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification mandating the playing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram before the national anthem at official events.

In a press statement, the Board's General Secretary, Maulana Mohammed Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, expressed strong opposition to the government's decision, calling it unconstitutional, against religious freedom and secular values, contrary to the Supreme Court judgment, and directly conflicting with the religious beliefs of Muslims.

He stated that the decision is therefore completely unacceptable to Muslims. The Maulana noted that, following Rabindranath Tagore's advice and deliberations in the Constituent Assembly, it had been agreed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be used.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani also criticised the Union government's directive to play all six stanzas of Vande Mataram before the national anthem at official events, calling it a 'blatant attack on freedom of religion'.

Madani said it violates the constitutional rights of minorities. (ANI)