Corporator takes oath in Urdu; BJP, BSP workers clash in Aligarh

Aligarh: A scuffle broke out between BJP and BSP workers as one of the newly-elected corporator associated with the latter took oath in Urdu in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh.

The pandemonium broke out at Aligarh Municipal Corporation on Tuesday when newly elected Mayor Mohammad Furqan and other corporators were taking the oath but to everybody's astonishment, the BSP corporator took the oath of secrecy in Urdu.

Confirming the incident, Aligarh DM Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod said, “Some people objected and raised slogans during the ceremony. We received information that a Councillor tried taking oath in Urdu. We'll probe recording of the ceremony and take action if we find this to be true,”

“No religious slogans were raised,” the DM confirmed.

The latest incident comes days after BSP leader and newly-elected Meerut mayor Sunita Verma categorically stated that national song Vande Mataram will not be sung ahead of the board meetings.

While topping the ex-mayor's order that made singing Vande Mataram at meetings a must, Verma said that as per the constitution of the municipal board, National Anthem 'Jan Gan Man' would be sung before the meetings and not the national song.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on December 7 had apparently questioned why there were objections to saying 'Vande Mataram', which meant salute to the motherland.

"If not your mother, who would you salute, Afzal Guru?" Naidu asked.

"Vande Mataram mane maa tujhe salam. Kya samasya hai? Agar maa ko salam nahi karenge to kya Afzal Guru ko salam karenge? (Vande Mataram means salute to mother. What is problem with it, if you don't salute your mother, who would you salute, Afzal Guru?)," he asked.