New Delhi, Aug 15: A political row erupted on Saturday over the rendition of the full version of Vande Mataram at the Congress’s Independence Day event, with the BJP accusing grand old party’s former chief Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the national song and the opposition party dismissing the allegation.
The Congress’ Independence Day event in Delhi saw a controversy as BJP accused Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the full version of Vande Mataram being played.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya took to X to slam the grand old party and said, “For the first time, the entire ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung at the Congress headquarters on Independence Day.”
He said, “After the initial stanzas of Vande Mataram were sung, Sonia Gandhi became agitated and asked for the rendition to be stopped rather than played in full. Rahul Gandhi too appeared to signal that it should end. They were told to let it continue. The message was clear: the complete National Song is now to be respected under the new legal framework, and intentional obstruction or disturbance can invite serious consequences.”
“They eventually fell in line, and Vande Mataram was sung in full. For decades, the Gandhis and the Congress have displayed an uneasy relationship with the idea of a culturally confident, civilisationally rooted India. That discomfort stood exposed, ironically, on Independence Day. Vande Mataram,” Malviya said.
Several of the BJP leaders slammed the Congress over the retention of Vande Mataram including Anurag Thakur and G Kishan Reddy.
The BJP shared video footage from the Congress’s event at Indira Bhawan and alleged that Sonia questioned party workers while Vande Mataram was being played. Congress, however, said there was no attempt to stop the full rendition and that Sonia was merely asking for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing for some time.
However, Congress General Secretary and Communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh rejectednthe claims and said that full version of Vande Mataram was sung because the matter was discussed in Parliament.
Speaking to the media, Ramesh said, “Full version (of Vande Mataram) was sung because the matter was discussed in Parliament. There was a debate on it in Parliament, which lasted for 16 hours, and we put forward our views. I personally explained the entire history, which the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were not aware of. I informed all the MPs about the context in which the decision regarding Vande Mataram was taken.”
“But today, here at Indira Bhawan, the full Vande Mataram was sung. There is no question of any controversy over this… There was no attempt to stop anyone. There was no attempt to stop. The Congress president had been standing for a long time, that is why Sonia Gandhi was saying that a chair should be brought and placed for him,” he added.
Ramesh even said that on October 28, 1937, in Calcutta, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Govind Ballabh Pant and C Rajagopalachari, and on the advice of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, they decided that the initial stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at the Congress sessions.
Ramesh said Tagore had advised N. Bose that the opening portions of the song should be used at Congress gatherings.
“Tagore gave the advice to Nehru and Bose that the first few paragraphs of Vande Mataram should be used, he said.
“We have been singing those lines in every session since them, our Seva Dal sings it, our workers sing it, there is no controversy over that,” Ramesh said.”
Even former Rajasthan Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that “there is no controversy”.
“There is no controversy. Congress’ high command or Jairam Ramesh will tell you about the party’s approach,” he added.
Gehlot also referred to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech exposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on the occasion of independence day.
The former Chief Minister said, “Whatever the Prime Minister and Amit Shah said over the past 12 years, people have heard it all, and now no one has any faith left in them.”
“The speech that Kharge ji gave here has completely exposed the Prime Minister’s speech… He (Kharge) has sent a message to the country that these people only do marketing; they don’t actually accomplish anything… Mallikarjun Kharge has made it clear that the public will no longer fall for your words…” Gehlot said.
While reacting to the Prime Minister’s.remarks on Women’s Reservation Bill, Gehlot said, “…The law has been enacted, but why aren’t you people implementing it? They are dreaming that they will first increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, and then increase the number in the assemblies.
“In other words, these people will take control of the delimitation, just like what happened in Assam, and Congress was wiped out there… Under the leadership of Congress, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge, we will never allow such a thing to happen,” Gehlot added.