Singing of India's national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" was made compulsory at all madrasas in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh from today (May 12, 2022), according to an official.

SN Pandey, registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board, issued an order to this effect to all District Minority Welfare Officers on May 9 2022, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

According to the decision taken in the state madrasa board meeting on March 24, the singing of national anthem at all madrasas across the state has been made mandatory, he said.

Pandey said regular classes at the madrasas began from today after Ramadan holidays and the order came into effect from the same day.

The order said before the commencement of classes, national anthem will be sung by teachers and students from the upcoming academic session in all recognised, aided and non-aided madrasas in the state.

General Secretary of Teachers' Association Madaris Arabia, Diwan Sahab Zaman Khan, said so far in madrasas usually Hamd (praises to Allah) and Salam (salutations to Muhammad) were recited before the start of classes while the national anthem was also sung in some madrasas but it was not compulsory.

"Now it has been made mandatory," he added.

There are at present a total of 16,461 madrasas across Uttar Pradesh and 560 of them receive government grants.