Darul Uloom Deoband issues fatwa against chanting of ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’

Darul Uloom Deoband issues fatwa against chanting of ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’

LUCKNOW: Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Friday issued a fatwa against chanting of "Bharat Mata ki jai", saying that the slogan goes against the tenets of Islam.

"'Bharat Mata', according to some Hindu sects, is a goddess and they worship her. For Muslims worshiping a goddess would be un-Islamic," the fatwa said.

The fatwa added, "We love our country, but we do not worship it, Islam allows worshiping only one God."

Condemning the fatwa issued by leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, minister of state for food processing Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Friday said denying people to chant "Bharat Mata ki jai" slogan amounted to insulting the freedom fighters.

"It is showing the fundamentalist side of Islam. Denying 'Bharat Mata ki jai' shows disrespect to martyrs of the country. It shows their mentality. They should understand that they are not living in Pakistan," said Jyoti.



Recently at an event in Luckow on March 28, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said "nobody needs to be forced to raise the slogan and that efforts should be made to build a "great" India that is hailed across the globe voluntarily.

"We have to create such a great India where people themselves chant 'Bharat Mata ki jai' ... it need not be imposed," Bhagwat said.

READ ALSO: Some Muslims say no harm in 'Bharat Mata ki jai' chant

The RSS chief had stirred a controversy recently with his remark that the younger generation needed to be taught to hail "Mother India".

In apparent retaliation, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had said he would not chant "Bharat Mata ki jai" as he was not obliged to do it under the Constitution and that he would not do so even if a "knife is put to my throat".