New Delhi: The special discussion marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram set off a lively and heated opening to the Winter Session of Parliament on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the session with an address highlighting the song’s historical significance and its deep association with India’s freedom movement.
However, the Opposition, led by the Congress, questioned the relevance of the discussion, asking, “What is the purpose of this debate today?”
Modi Targets Congress: “They have repeatedly disrespected Vande Mataram”
While tracing the life of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and the origins of Vande Mataram, the Prime Minister launched a sharp attack on Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress party. Modi alleged that Nehru, influenced by Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s apprehensions, “fragmented” the song, paving the way for “narrow communal politics”.
Modi recalled that Jinnah had first objected to Vande Mataram during the 1937 Lucknow session and referred to Nehru’s letter to Subhas Chandra Bose, in which Nehru termed the song “potentially discomforting to Muslims”.
He further pointed out that the Congress, in 1937, even in Bankim Chandra’s home state of Bengal, undertook a “review” of the song’s relevance and later decided to present it in truncated form.
The Prime Minister concluded:
“Those who fragmented Vande Mataram eventually yielded before the forces that divided India.”
Opposition Hits Back: “A distraction from real issues”
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra delivered a pointed response, alleging that the ruling party was using the anniversary discussion to deflect attention from pressing national concerns.
“This debate is meant to divert attention from the real problems faced by citizens,” she said, stressing that issues such as inflation and unemployment deserved priority in Parliament.
She reminded the House that Vande Mataram was first sung in 1896 at a Congress session under Rabindranath Tagore’s direction.
“It continues to be sung at Congress events even today. But does the BJP or RSS sing Vande Mataram at their gatherings?” she asked.
Rajnath Singh: “The song reflects resistance to colonial rule, not communal bias”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that neither Vande Mataram nor Bankim Chandra’s novel Anandamath was anti-Muslim. Rather, he said, they expressed the spirit of resistance against British rule and the authoritarian Nawab administrations of that period.
He added that the song’s full verses encapsulate “the soul and strength of the nation”.
Anurag Thakur Accuses Congress Leadership of Avoidance
BJP MP Anurag Thakur criticised Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for not attending the Prime Minister’s address, claiming that the Congress “fears any honest discussion” on Vande Mataram.
He described the song as “the anthem of India’s collective spirit”, capable of inspiring future generations.
Speaker Om Birla: “A symbol of India’s unity and civilisational strength”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in his remarks, described Vande Mataram as an expression of India’s natural beauty, maternal devotion, unity, and strength—values he said continue to bind the nation.
With the Lok Sabha engaged in debates throughout the day, discussions on the subject are scheduled to continue in the Rajya Sabha on December 9. The Winter Session of Parliament will run from December 1 to 19.
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