Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said his party's MPs will chant 'Vande Mataram' loudly in Parliament, and dared the BJP to throw them out of the House.
On November 24, the Rajya Sabha secretariat reminded the members not to use slogans like 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jai Hind' inside or outside the House, citing it a breach of parliamentary etiquette.
Speaking at a press conference here, Thackeray said when the undivided Shiv Sena was with the BJP, the saffron party had asserted that those who want to live in this country must say 'Vande Mataram'.
"Would the person who came out with the latest instruction from the Rajya Sabha secretariat be sent to Pakistan," Thackeray said, asking further if "Macaulay's progeny" had infiltrated the BJP.
"Our MPs will say 'Vande Mataram' loudly. Let's see who throws us out of Parliament. All Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs will say 'Vande Mataram'. If the BJP has courage, it should throw out our MPs," he added.
The instruction about not chanting slogans is mentioned in the 'Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha' issued ahead of the commencement of a parliamentary session on December 1.
As per Rajya Sabha secretariat sources, this is not the first time such an instruction has been issued. A similar circular was released during the UPA-led government in November 2005.