Amit Shah Attacks Congress Over Vande Mataram Stand, Cites Freedom Fighters

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events, accusing the party of pursuing appeasement politics and disrespecting the song's legacy and those who sacrificed their lives during India's freedom struggle.

The Congress Working Committee decided to follow the party's 1937 resolution on Vande Mataram and sing only the first two stanzas of the National Song at party events.

The development comes after the Union Home Ministry issued fresh guidelines for the singing or playing of Vande Mataram at designated government functions. Under the new protocol, a six-stanza version of the National Song, with a duration of around three minutes and 10 seconds, is to be rendered at designated government functions.

Shah alleged that the Congress had repeated what he described as a historical mistake by following its 1937 resolution. He claimed that the decision to divide Vande Mataram into two parts was linked to appeasement politics and argued that it contributed to the circumstances that eventually led to the Partition of India.

He said the Narendra Modi government had sought to correct what he described as a historical mistake during the 150th year of Vande Mataram's composition by promoting the complete version of the song at government functions.

Shah accused the Congress of insulting Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who composed Vande Mataram, as well as freedom fighters who invoked the song during India's independence movement. He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the party was once again promoting appeasement politics.

The Union Home Minister appealed to people to oppose the Congress' decision, arguing that the country had already faced serious consequences from the 1937 decision.

The Congress, however, strongly defended its stand and said it would continue to follow the resolution adopted by its leadership in 1937.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the party's position was clear and based on a decision taken in the presence of several prominent leaders of the freedom movement, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also cited the October 28, 1937, Congress Working Committee resolution on Vande Mataram, saying it was adopted after discussions involving the party's top leadership of that period.

The Congress maintained that there was no ambiguity in its position and confirmed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at party events. The party also accused the BJP of turning the issue into a political controversy.

The disagreement has triggered a fresh political debate over Vande Mataram, the 1937 Congress resolution and the government's new protocol for rendering the National Song at designated government functions.