MNS protests AIMIM’s comment on national anthem

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a demonstration against All India Majlees-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) for alleged irresponsible remarks made by its legislator Imtiyaz Jaleel regarding playing of the country’s national anthem in cinema halls. Participating in a debate on a local news channel, Mr Jaleel had said, “Why do they have this drama before playing the movie ”

The MNS activists held protests at Dadar and Thane. They burnt the flags of AIMIM and demanded that Jaleel should leave the country.

MNS leader Amay Khopkar, who led protests at Dadar, said, “Mr Jaleel should be tried for sedition. We are absolutely intolerant when it comes to our country and it’s national anthem. If he can’t pay tribute to the country, he should be kicked out of the nation.”

However, Mr Jaleel justified his statement and said, “I believe that it is not necessary to go to a cinema hall and sing Jana Gana Mana before watching the movie to get certificate that we love and respect our country. We have a lot of love and respect for our country in our heart but I don’t feel it is necessary to go to theatre to show your patriotism. People go the cinema halls for entertainment and not to get a certificate of patriotism. If these political parties are really concerned about national anthem then they should make it compulsory in school, colleges and offices.”

The AIMIM legislator further said he did not mean to say that playing the national anthem was a drama. “What I meant by drama was that the news channels calling some politicians in news studios who tell Muslims to do something or go to Pakistan. I used the word drama for that. India was, is and will be our country and we don’t need certificate of patriotism from these political parties,” he said.