Govt body abruptly asked to stop singing National Anthem, remove Deendayal Upadhyaya, Bharat Mata's photos

The singing of the national anthem started based on a verbal order last September, officials said

The staff at Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR), which used to gather every morning to sing the national anthem, stopped the singing practice on the basis of a verbal order.

Along with this, photos of Bharat Mata and of former Jan Sangh president Deendayal Upadhyaya present in the office of Member Secretary Umesh Kadam and the ICHR conference room were removed after ‘objection’.

The Indian Council for Historical Research is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education

As per an Indian Express report, a senior official said, “The singing of the national anthem started based on a verbal order last September and stopped on February 25, also on a verbal order. There was no written order to remove images of Bharat Mata and Upadhyaya but these were removed from the office.”

According to sources, images of Bharat Mata and Upadhyaya were on the wall along with pictures of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both rooms.

Speaking about the move to remove photos of Bharat Mata and Deendayal Upadhyaya, Member Secretary Kadam said, “There was no written order (to put these images). People come and present such things and we install them at an appropriate place.”

Sources told Indian Express that staff had begun singing the national anthem after Kadam joined the office on August 11 last year.

Chairman Tanwar clarified that he had no role in removing images and stopping the singing of national anthem. “It is true that there was no proper permission (for images and national anthem). Neither from the (Governing) Council, nor from me. I have not visited the ICHR office since February 10, ” Tanwar said.

Tanwar, who was a professor at Kurukshetra University, was nominated as Chairman of the ICHR in January last year.