Vande Mataram row: Amit Shah, Bankim descendant demand Congress apology
THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK New Delhi/Kolkata, August 16: A political controversy erupted over the singing of the national song at the Congress…
THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi/Kolkata, August 16: A political controversy erupted over the singing of the national song at the Congress headquarters on Independence Day, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP leaders accusing the party of disrespecting the song, while the Congress rejected the allegation.
Addressing a public meeting in Chittorgarh on Sunday, Shah alleged that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had asked party president Mallikarjun Kharge to stop the rendition midway during the Independence Day programme on August 15.
Shah demanded that the Congress apologise to the people and to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of Vande Mataram.
“If there is any shame left, you should fold your hands and apologise to Bankim Babu’s immortal spirit and the people,” Shah said.
Bankim’s Descendant Seeks Unconditional Apology
BJP MLA Sumitro Chatterjee, a direct descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has separately demanded an unconditional apology from Sonia Gandhi over the alleged incident.
In a letter to Gandhi, Chatterjee described the episode as “not merely unfortunate” but a repetition of what he called a historical mistake.
The Naihati MLA said he was writing as an ordinary citizen, a patriot and a direct descendant of the author of Vande Mataram. He said the alleged incident had caused him “deep pain, emptiness, and anger”.
Chatterjee invoked the role of Vande Mataram in India’s freedom struggle, citing its rendition by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress and its use by freedom fighters and nationalist movements.
He also referred to the Congress’s decision in 1937 to use a truncated version of the song following objections raised by Muslim League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah, arguing that the episode represented a historical compromise whose shadow was visible again.
‘Vande Mataram Belongs to the Entire Nation’
Chatterjee said Vande Mataram was not the property of any political party but part of India’s collective memory and the legacy of the freedom struggle.
He appealed to Sonia Gandhi to introspect and tender an unconditional apology, particularly to the people of Bengal.
BJP Leaders Step Up Attack
BJP leaders in West Bengal also criticised the Congress over the controversy.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused Sonia Gandhi of insulting nationalism, patriotism and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He demanded an apology from the Congress and alleged that the party was pursuing “appeasement politics”.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also attacked the Congress, alleging that the party’s position reflected what he described as a “dimagi Naxal ecosystem”.
He said respect for Vande Mataram, the Constitution, the Tricolour and the country’s freedom fighters should not be questioned.
Congress Rejects Allegations
The Congress denied that there had been any attempt to stop the complete rendition of Vande Mataram.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said Sonia Gandhi was only asking for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing for some time.
Venugopal accused the BJP of trying to turn the incident into a political controversy and said the Congress respects both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana.
He also sought to shift the focus to other issues, accusing the BJP of using the controversy to divert attention from matters such as border security and other political concerns.
The controversy has brought Vande Mataram back into the centre of a sharp political debate on nationalism, the freedom movement and the historical legacy of the national song.
While the BJP has demanded an apology from the Congress leadership, the Congress has maintained that the allegation against Sonia Gandhi is misleading and politically motivated.
