Panjim:
Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) onslaught against Sonia Gandhi for allegedly attempting to halt the singing of Vande Mataram midway during an Independence Day event, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge sang the national song in Goa on Monday – though only the first two stanzas.
The recitation by Kharge and other leaders took place before the start of a Goa Congress convention.
The incident could spark another round of attacks from the BJP, which has been attempting to corner Congress over a video in which Gandhi was allegedly seen signalling leaders to stop the recitation after two stanzas.
The Congress denied the allegation, asserting that the full version of Vande Mataram had been sung at the event. The party maintained that Sonia Gandhi was merely asking for a chair for Kharge, who had been standing for a while.
Vande Mataram was penned by pre-Independence poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. It was adopted as the national song in 1937. The last four paragraphs were skipped as they had references to Hindu goddesses.
In February, the Centre made it mandatory to sing Vande Mataram in its entirety at public gatherings, schools, and official government functions, among others. It also passed a bill in Parliament which made intentionally obstructing, disrupting or preventing the singing of Vande Mataram a criminal offence.
Also read: BJP Claims Sonia Gandhi Tried To Stop Singing Of Vande Mataram, Congress Denies
BJP’s Attack On Sonia Gandhi
Union Minister Amit Shah spearheaded the attack on the Congress veteran on Independence Day, alleging that the party’s leadership had shown utter disrespect to the national song at the party headquarters in Delhi. He demanded an apology from the Opposition party.
“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,” Shah said at a public gathering in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh last week.
He linked the alleged action to the Congress’s reliance on votebank politics.
“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,” Shah said.
Also read: “Country Won’t Forgive”: Amit Shah To Sonia Gandhi Over Vande Mataram Row
The Congress claimed Sonia Gandhi hadn’t gestured to stop the song.
“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,” Congress leader Udit Raj had said.
The singing of Vande Mataram at the Congress event came hours after the Goa BJP attacked the party for allegedly insulting the national song.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Goa BJP spokesperson Daji Krishna Salkar alleged that the Congress had curtailed the singing of Vande Mataram in 1937.
“The way they split Vande Mataram in 1937, they partitioned the country in 1947,” Salkar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“The Congress should admit that they don’t like singing Vande Mataram,” he added, accusing the Congress of hating the national song.
