After Congress MP, Haryana minister calls for changes in national anthem, wants 'Adhinayak' removed

The demand comes a day after Congress MP Ripun Bora moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha seeking amendments to the National Anthem to replace the word 'Sindh' with 'North East'.

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NEW DELHI: Haryana health and sports minister Anil Vij on Saturday demanded the removal of the word 'Adhinayak' from the Indian National Anthem.

This comes a day after Congress MP Ripun Bora moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha seeking amendments to the National Anthem to replace the word 'Sindh' with 'North East'.

Vij put forward his demand while supporting Bora's resolution to remove 'Sindh' from ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

“Theek baat hai Sindh ko hataane ki baat hai. Adhinayak shabd ko bhi hatna chahiye. Adhinayak ka matlab hota hai taanaashah. Hindustan mein ab koi taanaashah nahi hai. Hindustan mein demoncracy hai. (It's a correct argument to remove Siindh. Adhinayak word should also be removed (from National Anthem). ‘Adhinayak’ means dictator and in India, we don’t have dictatorship. India has democracy),” said the BJP leader.

#WATCH: Haryana Minister Anil Vij says 'Theek baat hai Sindh ko hataane ki baat hai. Adhinayak shabd ko bhi hatna chahiye. Adhinayak ka matlab hota hai taanaashah. Hindustan mein ab koi taanaashah nahi hai'. pic.twitter.com/z39oGbbv8O — ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2018

While moving the resolution in Rajya Sabha, Bora said, “North East is an important part of India, it is unfortunate that it is not part of the national anthem. On other hand, Sindh is mentioned, which is no longer part of India but part of Pakistan, which is a hostile country."

"...the Northeast India, which is a very important part of India, finds no mention in the National Anthem, the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, had made a statement in the Constituent Assembly on 24th January, 1950 that the composition consisting of the words and music known as the Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words such as Government may authorise as occasion arises," he stated in the resolution.

National anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', composed by Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore in 1911, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.

With ANI inputs