The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday turned down a petition challenging an Uttar Pradesh government order that made singing the national anthem compulsory in all schools, including madrasas. “The petitioner was unable to refer to or draw our attention to any material which may have even remotely established that the singing of the national anthem would violate the beliefs and customs of students attending madrasas in the state,” the court observed according to The New Indian Express.

“The recitation of the national anthem is, in essence, the act of every citizen honouring the history and tradition of this great nation and ultimately serves the promotion of a spirit of brotherhood among all without exception to the religious, lingual or regional affiliations of a particular individual,” the court said. It then dismissed the petition, saying it was “thoroughly misconceived”.

The petitioner, Alaul Mustafa, said he is the secretary of an institution that runs a madrasa in Mau district of Uttar Pradesh. He filed the plea against a state government order issued on August 3, followed by a circular on September 6, which made singing the national anthem compulsory in schools, including madrasas.