Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced today, Monday, November 10, that reciting 'Vande Mataram' will be made mandatory in all educational institutions throughout the state. 

The Chief Minister made the statement while speaking at a 'Ekta Yatra' (Unity March) event in Gorakhpur.

Yogi Adityanath stated that opposing 'Vande Mataram' serves no purpose and was one of the reasons for India's Partition in 1947.

He further said, “We must include Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in our discussions. We will make the recitation of ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory in all educational institutions across Uttar Pradesh so that every citizen of the state develops a sense of respect and devotion towards Bharat Mata and the motherland."

Yogi Adityanath's announcement comes amid a political controversy about the national song. The dispute arose when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last week that key stanzas of the song were removed in 1937.

The Indian National Congress is demanding an apology from the prime minister for remarks he made on Friday, in which he claimed that removing stanzas from 'Vande Mataram' had sown the seeds for the Partition of India. 

In response to his remarks, the Congress claimed on Sunday that the prime minister "insulted" the Congress Working Committee (CWC) of 1937, which published a statement on the national song, as well as Rabindranath Tagore.

The party added that the Prime Minister should focus on everyday issues rather than historical figures. 

The prime minister made his remarks while kicking off a year-long celebration of 'Vande Mataram' to commemorate the national song's 150th anniversary.