Overview
- Announcing the move at a Unity March in Gorakhpur, the chief minister said all educational institutions in the state will require the song’s recital to instill respect and pride.
- He framed opposition to the practice as a threat to national cohesion, warning that “no new Jinnah” should arise and urging action against divisive forces.
- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged Delhi University to establish collective singing of the full version in every classroom as a lasting tradition.
- The state decision comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a year-long 150th-anniversary commemoration with a stamp and coin, and after his 1937 remarks led the Congress to demand an apology.
- Samajwadi Party leaders and Muslim representatives objected to compulsory recitation, arguing that elements of the song conflict with Islamic teachings and cannot be imposed.