Karnataka BJP MP Sparks Row Claiming Jana Gana Mana Welcomed British; Ministers Hit Back at ‘WhatsApp History’

A political flashpoint erupted in Karnataka after BJP MP Vishveshwara Kageri claimed that India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, was originally written to welcome British officials. The remark, made at a public event in Uttara Kannada, renewed old ideological tensions and drew a sharp rebuttal from state ministers who accused the BJP of spreading misinformation.

Kageri suggested that Vande Mataram should have been chosen as the national anthem instead, saying: “There was a demand that Vande Mataram should have been the national anthem. Our ancestors, for whatever reasons, said let Vande Mataram and that song written to welcome British officials—Jana Gana Mana—both be there.”

His comments triggered immediate criticism from Congress leaders, who dismissed the statement as historically inaccurate. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, responding on X, said the BJP and the RSS were promoting “WhatsApp history”. He stressed that Jana Gana Mana had its roots in the 1911 hymn Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata, written by Rabindranath Tagore and first performed at an Indian National Congress session—well before any suggestion that it praised British royalty.

Kharge also reminded that Tagore himself clarified in 1937 and again in 1939 that the hymn referred to the “Dispenser of India’s destiny”, not to King George V or any other monarch. “Utter nonsense,” Kharge wrote, adding that those questioning the anthem were continuing a “tradition of disrespecting the Constitution, the Tricolour and the National Anthem.”

Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad questioned why Kageri had raised the issue now, noting that such debates do little to address real socio-economic concerns. “This is all not required… Earlier he himself would sing Jana Gana Mana. Why say this suddenly?” Lad asked.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy echoed the criticism, insisting that the national anthem was selected collectively after Independence and had never been a point of dispute. He suggested Kageri’s comments reflected an ideological attempt to reshape historical narratives. “They are spreading lies against Gandhi and Nehru. This shows their mindset,” Reddy said.

The exchange illustrates how national symbols continue to become political battlegrounds, especially when invoked in the context of identity and ideology. While the BJP MP’s remarks stirred debate over cultural priorities, ministers argued that revisiting settled historical facts only fuels unnecessary polarisation.

As voices from both sides weigh in, the conversation has again brought India’s anthem, its legacy, and its significance into public focus—highlighting how deeply national identity remains intertwined with contemporary political discourse.