Vande Mataram row: BJP slams Congress for 'undermining' national song

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan criticised Congress's resolution to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, calling it a 'betrayal'. Congress defended the move, citing its 1937 resolution, while Shiv Sena (UBT) saw no objection to the practice.

BJP accuses Congress of 'betrayal'

BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday criticised the Congress over its resolution to sing only the first two stanzas at party events, saying that the opposition party has always undermined the importance of the national song.

Speaking to ANI, Kesavan said, "The original Vande Mataram, written in 1875, was the soul of our freedom movement. Nehru's Congress systematically whitewashed and erased our national song from our national memory and public discourse. Today, Rahul Gandhi's Congress is committing the same betrayal against Vande Mataram, and Sonia Gandhi's unpardonable act of insulting Vande Mataram only reflects the chronic communal mindset of the Congress Party."

Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, 'Vande Mataram' was first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875. Later, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee incorporated the hymn in his immortal novel 'Anandamath' which was published in 1882.

Kesavan further said that Vande Mataram stands above political differences and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for restoring its honour and glory. "The BJP resolution firmly affirms that Vande Mataram, our highest expression of respect and reverence for Bharat Mata, stands far above the parochial and polarising politics of the Congress leadership. We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for thoughtfully restoring the honour, respect and glory of Vande Mataram, which was deliberately truncated by the Congress Party earlier," he added.

Parties weigh in on controversy

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said Vande Mataram represents devotion towards the motherland, and there should be no objection if people sing two stanzas of the song. He said, "In 1937, at the Congress session, only two stanzas of Vande Mataram were sung, in the presence of leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose. Vande Mataram is not just a song; it represents devotion to our motherland. If people sing two stanzas, there should be no objection. There should be no compulsion."

On the contrary, Congress leader Rakesh Sinha criticised the BJP's resolution, saying it was against the legacy of several national leaders. Speaking to ANI, he said, "It is an opposition to the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Rabindranath Tagore. It appears that the followers of Godse are once again trying to oppose these national leaders over Vande Mataram. These are people who apologised to the British and received pensions from them."

Congress Cites 1937 Resolution

On Wednesday, the Congress Working Committee also decided that only the first two stanzas of the national song would be sung at party events, citing the party's own 1937 resolution.

The decision followed days of controversy after the BJP accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi of conversing while the national song was being rendered during Independence Day celebrations on August 15, and demanded a public apology. After the CWC meeting, Congress MP KC Venugopal said the party's stand on the recitation of Vande Mataram was clear and that it would follow the decisions taken by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1937. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)