‘Muslims should learn Sanskrit’: Actor-politician Rudranil Ghosh on Vande Mataram row

Amid the controversy over the compulsory singing of the national song Vande Mataram, actor-politician Rudranil Ghosh said that those who are opposed to the practice since the song is in Sanskrit, they would have no choice but to learn the language.

“If you don’t know Sanskrit you need to learn it,” Ghosh said in an exclusive conversation to The Statesman when asked about the opposition of several madrasas to singing Vande Mataram.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Shibpur said that Muslims had no idea about the presence of preexisting laws.

বঙ্কিমচন্দ্রের জন্মজয়ন্তীতে ‘বন্দে মাতরম’ নিয়ে কী বললেন রুদ্রনীল?#DainikStatesman #RudranilGhosh #VandeMataram #BankimChandraChattopadhyay #WestBengal #PoliticalNews pic.twitter.com/u3fZiNM68b

— Dainik Statesman (@StatesmanDainik) June 26, 2026

Elaborating his point through an example, Ghosh explained indirectly that just like we were taught civic duties in our childhood, Muslims should also be taught about the country’s culture.

“Take for example, spitting at public spaces. In our childhood we were taught not to spit or urinate at public spaces. We were taught several such civic duties like these. We were taught about our culture and traditions as well,” Ghosh said.

“Those who are criticising, they do not know the truth,” he highlighted.

Incidentally, Ghosh was speaking on the 188th birth anniversary of the Bengali poet and novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.