New Delhi [India], February 14 (ANI): In a blistering attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that the party and the organisation are pushing India towards becoming a 'theocratic nation'.

His remarks come after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued detailed guidelines for the national song Vande Mataram, stating that when both the National Song and the National Anthem are performed at an event, all six stanzas of Vande Mataram's official version must be presented first.

Also Read | West Bengal Shocker: BLO Calls Lover's Husband for 'SIR', Kills Him, Chops Body, Dumps Pieces.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Owaisi said, "This should not be made a test of loyalty...The way the BJP and RSS are taking forward the nation, it will become a theocratic nation."

Owaisi said that the Constitution begins with "We the people," not slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai," and highlighted that Article 25 guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of religion, adding that citizens do not need any "certificate of loyalty."

Also Read | What Tarique Rahman Said About India-Bangladesh Ties in His First Speech After the Election Victory (Watch Video).

"...Our Constitution begins with 'We the people', not with 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'...Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of religion...Do they want to finish the national anthem?... What about my freedom of religion?... We don't need any certificate of loyalty," he said.

The MHA instructions on 'Vande Mataram' coincide with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the creation of the song.

Further, Owaisi criticised demands to award Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar, saying that the Justice Kapoor Commission had named Savarkar a conspirator in Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

His remarks came after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat suggested that awarding Savarkar the Bharat Ratna would enhance the award's prestige.

"Justice Kapoor Commission was constituted after the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, and it said that Veer Savarkar is a conspirator in this murder...They can also give Bharat Ratna to Nathuram Godse if they want," Owaisi said. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)