BJP workers protested outside Abu Asim Azmi’s Mumbai home after he refused to join a Vande Mataram recital marking its 150th anniversary.
Maharashtra leaders Rahul Narwekar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha joined the protest, leading the song outside his residence.
Azmi defended his refusal on religious grounds, accusing the BJP of dividing the country and targeting Muslims.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staged a protest outside the Bandra residence of Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra unit chief Abu Asim Azmi after he declined an invitation to participate in a mass recital of the national song Vande Mataram, held to mark the beginning of its 150-year anniversary celebrations.
Led by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and state minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, BJP workers recited Vande Mataram outside Azmi’s home in response to his refusal.
Azmi defended his stance, saying Muslims who follow Sharia law cannot equate any person or land with Allah, and therefore cannot participate in the recital in the proposed form. He accused the BJP of attempting to divide the nation and “suppress and weaken” Muslims.
