Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday defended his party's position on the singing of Vande Mataram, saying it follows the version agreed upon by national leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Speaking in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, Kharge accused the Narendra Modi government and the BJP of pursuing what he described as the “politics of polarisation”. His remarks came in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's criticism of the Congress over its decision to sing only two stanzas of the national song.
The exchange has added a fresh political dimension to the ongoing debate over Vande Mataram, its historical versions and its place in official and public programmes.
Kharge Defends Congress Stand
Kharge said the Congress was following the version of Vande Mataram that had been decided by national leaders during the freedom movement.
He referred specifically to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel while defending the party's position on the shorter version of the song.
Kharge questioned whether leaders who had agreed upon the shorter version could also be described as “anti-national”.
Shah Targets Congress
Kharge's comments followed a sharp attack by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the Congress.
Shah had criticised the party's decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, alleging that the move was “anti-national” and linked to vote-bank politics.
He also argued that the Congress had departed from the full version of the national song for political reasons.
Debate Over Two Stanzas
The political disagreement centres on the practice of singing the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram in official settings.
The Congress maintains that the shorter version was adopted after discussions among national leaders and was intended to accommodate concerns surrounding some portions of the complete composition.
Kharge's latest statement seeks to place the party's position within the historical decisions taken during the freedom struggle.
Polarisation Charge
Kharge accused the BJP-led government of using the issue for political polarisation.
He argued that the Congress was not rejecting Vande Mataram but following the version historically accepted by prominent leaders of the national movement.
The Congress has repeatedly criticised the BJP for raising issues involving national symbols and patriotic themes for political mobilisation.
Historical Leaders Cited
In defending the Congress position, Kharge invoked the names of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, both of whom played prominent roles in India's freedom movement and the political transition leading to Independence.
His argument was that the decisions of these leaders should be considered when assessing the Congress's position on the national song.
Kharge's question about whether such leaders could be considered “anti-national” was directed at the political criticism currently being made against the Congress.
BJP-Congress Clash
The controversy has become another point of confrontation between the BJP and Congress.
The BJP has sought to portray the Congress position as disrespectful towards a major symbol of India's freedom struggle, while Congress leaders have accused the ruling party of politicising the national song.
The disagreement comes amid wider political differences between the two parties over nationalism, history and the legacy of the freedom movement.
Political Row Continues
The latest comments from Kharge are likely to keep the Vande Mataram debate at the centre of political discourse.
For the Congress, the argument is that the shorter version follows a historical decision involving national leaders. For the BJP, the issue represents what it sees as the Congress's failure to accord due importance to the complete national song.
The dispute therefore extends beyond the song itself into a broader political argument over nationalism, historical interpretation and the legacy of India's freedom movement.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The Congress and BJP are expected to continue presenting competing interpretations of the historical decision surrounding Vande Mataram.
The immediate political focus will remain on whether other senior leaders from either party respond to Kharge's remarks or Shah's earlier criticism.
The controversy also places renewed attention on the historical circumstances in which the shorter version of Vande Mataram came to be used at official and public events.
POLITICAL TAKEAWAY
Mallikarjun Kharge has defended the Congress's position on Vande Mataram, saying the party follows the version agreed upon by national leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
His remarks came after Amit Shah accused the Congress of being “anti-national” for singing only two stanzas of the song. Kharge rejected that criticism and accused the BJP-led government of pursuing the politics of polarisation.
The dispute reflects a wider political contest between the BJP and Congress over nationalism, historical legacy and the interpretation of decisions taken during India's freedom movement.
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