[ 6 Sep, 2006 2337hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
BANGALORE: The state education department on Wednesday said it has forwarded the HRD ministry's circular to all schools to compulsorily sing Vande Mataram on Thursday at 11 am.
"The Karnataka government has not issued any other direction to institutions. We've just sent the HRD ministry's circular. Neither has the department pondered about punishment to schools which don't comply with the circular," sources said.
Last month, primary and secondary education minister Basavaraj Horatti had refused to toe HRD ministry line. " Vande Mataram is the National Song and no caste or communal colour should be given to it," he had said.
Not only did Horatti accuse his coalition partner BJP of playing politics over the issue, but had also said he would write to the Centre that state would not abide by the diktat. But everything fell silent on Wednesday.
Officials said no specific circular had gone out. The Bangalore University registrar has asked BU departments to sing the first two stanzas of the song.
The BJP appealed to everyone to sing the song on Thursday in all streets and villages. The Students Islamic Organisation of India said making the song mandatory is unconstitutional.
" Vande Mataram includes elements that are very offensive against the religious belief of Islam and Muslims," its president Hashmatulla Khan said.
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