The Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde on Saturday issued a government resolution (GR) making it mandatory for all government employees to say 'Vande Mataram' instead of 'Hello' while receiving telephone or mobile phone calls, saying that the word 'hello' is an imitation of Western culture.

The employees working in the government or in government-funded institutions would use 'Vande Mataram' instead of 'hello' while receiving telephone or mobile phone calls from citizens or government officials, as per the government order. The GR issued by the General Administration Department said that officials should also create awareness among the people who meet them to do the same.

"The word 'hello' is an imitation of Western culture and just a "greeting without any specific meaning and does not evoke any affection," GR said.

Hitting back at the government over the decision, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Waris Pathan said that the Shinde government is creating new drama just to distract the public from the real issues.

"What will you do, if we do not say Vande Mataram? Will people get jobs by uttering Vande Mataram? Will farmers' loans be forgiven? Inflation will come down?" Waris Pathan's questioned the government.

(with inputs from ANI)