Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday strongly defended his party’s position on the recitation of Vande Mataram, rejecting criticism over how the national song is sung at Congress events.
Addressing the ongoing political controversy, Kharge said the version recited by Congress follows a longstanding practice associated with the party and argued that the issue should be viewed in its historical context.
Kharge Invokes Gandhi, Nehru And Patel
Kharge said he had sung the same version of Vande Mataram that was sung by prominent freedom movement leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
“If singing it is a crime, then they have been committing that crime for the past 18 years. If this is a crime, then file a case against Gandhi ji. If this is a crime, file one against Nehru ji. If this is a crime, then against Vallabhbhai Patel,” Kharge said.
His remarks came amid a political confrontation between the Congress and BJP over the recitation of Vande Mataram.
Congress Cites Historical Practice
Kharge argued that the Congress had taken decisions regarding national songs long before Independence and said the party’s present practice was not a recent development.
He maintained that the political debate should not be reduced to the claim that a particular government or party can unilaterally decide how a national song should be treated.
“Congress had passed a resolution determining which national songs to adopt for the country,” he said.
‘Whatever You Say Does Not Become National Standard’
The Congress chief also questioned the idea that a decision made by the government in power automatically becomes a national standard.
“It is not the case that whatever you say becomes the national standard. Tomorrow, another government might come to power; if they say something, that becomes the rule,” Kharge said.
He maintained that Congress had simply continued a practice followed for decades.
Vande Mataram Row Escalates
The remarks come amid a growing political dispute over the singing of Vande Mataram, with the BJP accusing Congress of not giving the national song its due importance, while Congress leaders have defended their historical position.
The controversy has now turned into a wider political debate over the history of Vande Mataram, Congress’s role in the freedom movement and the manner in which the song should be observed at official and party events.
Kharge’s latest comments indicate that Congress is preparing to challenge the BJP’s narrative by placing the issue within the historical practices followed by the party during the freedom struggle and in the decades since Independence.
