New Delhi: Controversy has erupted over the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram in full during Independence Day celebrations at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday.
Sonia Gandhi was seen gesturing towards the singers, in an apparent bid to stop them after the first two stanzas had been sung. This have the BJP an opportunity to hit out at the grand old party for disrespecting the national song.
While the government has now mandated singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at official functions, the Congress has said that it would stick to the first two stanzas.
The situation was further accentuated with the Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) and Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha) skipping the celebrations at Red Fort where Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag.
Sources said that they did not attend owing to “insulting” seating arrangements. Both had skipped the 2025 celebrations also.
Dramatic scenes were witnessed at the Congress headquarters where Kharge unfurled the tricolour. The singers continued singing the full version of ‘Vande Mataram’, much to the discomfiture of top leaders.
Sonia was the first to notice the singers going ahead and perplexed, she first gestured to Kharge and then tried to communicate to the singers to stop. Kharge was also seen amused at the continuance of the singing and soon a functionary gave some explanation to both, as Rahul looked on from a distance, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Rahul and Sonia were later seen having an animated discussion with Seva Dal chief B Y Srinivas and his predecessor Lalji Desai. Rahul is learnt to have told them that that the Congress doesn’t need to prove anything.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh played down the matter and said the Congress Working Committee on 28 October, 1937, had decided on the advice of Rabindra Nath Tagore that only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ would be sung.
He rejected claims that Sonia attempted to stop the rendition of Vande Mataram saying, “as the Congress president was standing for a long time, Soniaji was asking for a chair for him.”
The BJP, however, hit out at the Congress after the images went viral. Party general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh said: “Mother, son and national president (of the Congress) seem to be upset by the rendering of full Vande Mataram. Certain mindsets never change from pre 1947 to post 1947.”
Gopal Krishna Agarwal, another BJP spokesperson said: “The scene that has come to light today on Independence Day is utterly shameful. Sonia Gandhi’s objection during the rendition of India’s national song, ‘Vande Mataram’, and her questioning of Congress workers as to why it was being played exposes the Congress party’s mindset.”
Congress media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera said the BJP-RSS did not participate in the freedom movement and they see insult in everything, while reacting to the criticism on Rahul and Kharge not attending the Red Fort event.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed Rahul’s decision to skip the event reflected his hatred for Vande Mataram.
“Rahul Gandhi misses being present at Red Fort. Can any patriotic Leader of Opposition, or an individual holding public office, commit such a voluntary act? Rahul Gandhi is unfit to be LoP. Rahul Gandhi’s mindset reflects that of a ‘Dimagi Naxal’ ecosystem,” he added.
