Vande Mataram Row: Amit Shah Accuses Sonia Gandhi, Congress Calls It 'Pack of Lies'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of stopping the singing of Vande Mataram midway during an Independence Day event at the Congress headquarters in Delhi. Speaking at a public gathering in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh, Shah demanded an apology from the Opposition party, saying the act showed disrespect to the national song.
"While the song was in progress, Congress leader Sonia ji asked the Congress president to stop it. We all watched this happen on TV," Shah said. "How could anyone even imagine leaving the singing of Vande Mataram incomplete? Congress members should be ashamed."
The Home Minister further linked the alleged incident to the Congress's approach to politics, saying its reliance on votebank politics had made it forget the sacrifices associated with the national song. "Thousands of people embraced the gallows, faced bullets and lathi charges, and endured years of imprisonment. If they have even a shred of shame left, they should fold their hands and apologise to Bankim Babu and to the people of the country. Sonia ji, the public is watching you. The people of this country will never forgive this," he said.
The Congress has categorically denied the allegation. Party spokesperson Udit Raj said Sonia Gandhi was gesturing for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was unwell and could not stand for long periods. "This is a pack of lies. Sonia Gandhi did not do that. Our Congress president is not in good health; he cannot stand for long periods... so, Sonia Gandhi gestured regarding the management of the proceedings, not to stop the singing of Vande Mataram," Raj said.
Raj also launched a counterattack on the Bharatiya Janata Party's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), questioning its historical record with national symbols. "The RSS did not hoist the national flag for 52 years. When will Amit Shah apologise for that? They did not accept the national flag; they insisted it should be saffron. When will they apologise for that?" he asked, accusing the BJP of manufacturing a controversy to distract from important issues.
Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, holds a significant place in India's freedom struggle. It was a rallying cry for independence activists and is one of the two national songs of India, the other being Jana Gana Mana. Controversies around the song and the national flag have periodically surfaced in Indian politics, often drawing sharp responses from political parties.
At the same event in Chittorgarh, Shah also paid tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, praising his decision to conduct the Pokhran nuclear tests despite global pressure, his push for rural road connectivity through national highways, and the creation of a separate ministry for tribal development. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with taking Vajpayee's vision forward.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, who was also present, said the Union home minister's leadership had ensured secure borders and the elimination of Maoists.
The controversy is likely to escalate as both parties continue to trade charges. The Congress has demanded that the BJP focus on substantive issues rather than what it calls manufactured disputes.
