Anurag Thakur slams Gandhis for skipping PM's Vande Mataram speech

BJP MP Anurag Thakur and PM Modi criticised Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi for their absence during the Lok Sabha discussion on Vande Mataram. Thakur said the Gandhis are afraid of the song, while PM Modi accused Congress of insulting the national song.

'Gandhi Family Afraid of Vande Mataram': Anurag Thakur

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Monday criticised Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for not attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address in the Lok Sabha, saying the Gandhi family is afraid to discuss Vande Mataram.

Addressing the Lower House of the Parliament during a discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, Anurag Thakur lauded PM Modi, saying his address with serve as a historical document for the coming generation.

Thakur said, "Prime Minister Modi initiated a discussion on Vande Mataram. In the 100th anniversary year of Vande Mataram, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency and destroyed the Constitution. PM Modi, in his address, kept forward the history and cultural significance of Vande Mataram. It will become an important document for the coming generations, telling how Vande Mataram united the nation."

Hailing Vande Mataram, the BJP MP said that it is the song of the nation's soul and is a "maha matra". "It is not just a song but a Maha Mantra. It is not a song belonging to a religion, a person or a state, instead a song of the nation's soul, of pride and aspirations. It is a tradition of love towards the nation, which is why Congress is afraid of it. They are so afraid that when PM Modi began the discussion, two members of the family that had ruled for so long were not present in the House...," he said in the House.

Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Thakur said, "PM Modi's today's speech in the Lok Sabha has become a historical document that will inspire future generations. Vande Mataram is an energy, but for some people, it is an allergy. In July 2018, Rahul Gandhi had said that recite only one line from Vande Mataram, Nehru ji limited Vande Mataram to two stanzas, and today both brother and sister went missing from the Lok Sabha."

PM Modi Accuses Congress of Insulting National Song

Earlier today, PM Modi also criticised Rahul Gandhi for his absence during discussions in Parliament, asserting that the Congress compromised on the national song and "surrendered before the Muslim League".

Addressing the Lok Sabha on the sixth day of the Winter Session, PM Modi said, "Serious discussion is going on in Parliament, but LoP Rahul Gandhi is not present in the House. First Nehru, now Rahul Gandhi, has shown disregard for Vande Mataram."

The Prime Minister accused the Congress of insulting the national song and surrendering before the Muslim League, stating, "Congress still insults Vande Mataram. "Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and surrendered before the Muslim League. Nehru did a 'tukde-tukde' of Vande Mataram."

Winter Session Debate Details

The BJP-led NDA government has been allotted three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate, while a total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion, as the debate will also take place in the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday, December 9.

The 6th Session of the 18th Lok Sabha and the 269th Session of the Rajya Sabha commenced on Monday, December 1, marking the beginning of the Winter Session of Parliament. The session will conclude on December 19. (ANI)

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