Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Monday hit out at the BJP, claiming that those who did not participate in the freedom struggle were now talking of the values of "Vande Mataram" and asserted that the national song should not be used as a tool to impose one's beliefs on others.

Participating in a discussion on the 150th anniversary of "Vande Mataram" in the Lok Sabha, Yadav said that "Vande Mataram" should be followed in spirit, as it is a song which bonded people during the freedom struggle.