MT Desk: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLAs have refused to sing ‘Vande Mataram’ during the upcoming budget session of Bihar Assembly.

The AIMIM chief in Bihar and member of Legislative Assembly from Amaur, Akhtarul Imam, said he and four other party MLAs had refused to sing the national song on the last day of the winter session and will do the same in the Budget session getting underway on February 25.

Akhtarul Imam said he has no hesitation or objection to sing the national anthem but will not sing national song. He asked the government to take a decision to withdraw the national song from Assembly proceedings.

Imam’s statement came a day after Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha asked every legislator of the Assembly and Council to sing national anthem (Jana Gana Mana) and national song (Vande Mataram). He said that the national anthem and national song are the symbols of unity and integrity of the nation. Hence, every countryman should sing them publically.