‘It is not necessary’: SC rejects plea against Vande Mataram notification

New Delhi: Mohammad Saeed Nouri, president of Raza College, Mumbai on Wednesday Supreme Court The Center recently ordered that all schools can start the day with a full version of the national anthem sung by the communityvan der matalan”, which refers to the motherland as a Hindu deity because it undermines the religious freedom and secularism of Muslims guaranteed by the constitution.Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for Nouri, told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi that India is a multi-religious country and the constitution guarantees freedom to practice any religion and those who do not want to sing the national anthem cannot be forced to do so. “The effect of the impugned instructions is to put citizens, especially those belonging to religious minorities or monotheistic faiths, into the untenable position of either engaging in expressions contrary to conscience/faith/religion or risking being seen as disrespectful to the symbols of the state,” he said.The judge asked Hegde to produce any part of the directive requiring schools to compulsorily sing the full version of the national anthem and asked whether there would be corresponding penalties for those who breached the rules.Hegde said the SC had issued a similar directive in 2018, making the national anthem mandatory in films. “Because of this direction, I and like-minded people no longer go to the movies. Patriotism cannot be forced. If the Constitution means anything to an individual, then individual conscience must be protected.”The judges said the petition was premature as the instructions said the school day “may begin with the singing of the national anthem”. “It does not infringe the right of speech because it does not force anyone. When you are forced (to sing the national anthem), you can file a case in court,” it said.