Jaipur, Aug 17: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Monday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his statement on the grand old party over Vande Mataram row, saying that people of India kept BJP out of power for decades as they had no role in freedom struggle and now, having come to power, “they want to rewrite the pages of history to wash away the stains of their past”.
In a post on X, Gehlot said, “Yesterday in Chittorgarh, Amit Shah lectured on Vande Mataram. Those familiar with history could not help but laugh. What connection do the BJP and the RSS have with Vande Mataram? This is the same RSS and the same ideology that never had any association with Vande Mataram.
“Today, they are preaching about history; this is nothing but their sense of guilt. That is why they are now trying to legislate on Vande Mataram in Parliament,” the former Chief Minister said.
He highlighted that Vande Mataram was first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1896 and from 1905 onwards, it became a tradition at every Congress session. Congress leaders directly confronted the British by raising the slogan of Vande Mataram.
“The British imposed bans, levied fines, sent people to prison and unleashed lathi charges, yet Congress workers continued to sing Vande Mataram with even greater fervour. In 1937, following the advice of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, its more inclusive form was adopted so that it could become a shared national song for every Indian,” he said.
Gehlot slamming the RSS said “but the RSS has never had anything to do with Vande Mataram”.
“From the formation of the RSS in 1925 until India’s independence in 1947, it never adopted Vande Mataram as its song,” he said, adding, “Thousands of patriots were hanged, imprisoned and subjected to brutal lathi charges for the sake of the song, yet the RSS never found the courage to sing it out of fear of the British.”
He alleged that “instead, in 1939, when the entire country was singing Vande Mataram and taking on the British, the RSS created a separate prayer for itself, Namaste Sada Vatsale, so that the British government would not be displeased with it”.
“When, in 1942, every Indian, young and old took to the streets against the British during the Quit India Movement, the RSS stayed away from the movement and remained engaged in appeasing the British,” he said, adding, “That is why, after Independence, the people of India kept them away from power for decades.”
“Now, having come to power, they want to rewrite the pages of history to wash away the stains of their past. But remember, history cannot be changed through speeches. The people of India know everything, and these sins cannot be washed away so easily,” Gehlot reminded the BJP.
His remarks came a day after Shah during his visit to Chittorgarh on Sunday accused CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi of stopping the national song midway at the Congress headquarters during the Independence Day celebrations and said that people would never forget the “sin” she had committed.
Referring to a video from the Congress headquarters, Shah said, “Look at their (Congress’s) shamelessness. The national song Vande Mataram was being sung at the Congress party headquarters. During the song, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi told the Congress president to stop singing. We all just kept watching on TV.”
“Sonia ji, 140 crore people are watching you. This sin you have committed will never be forgiven by the people of this country. How can anyone even dream of leaving the national song Vande Mataram incomplete? The people of Congress should feel ashamed. If there is any shame left, you should fold your hands and apologise to Bankim Babu’s immortal spirit and the people,” he added.
