New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Congress over its decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events. Shah accused the party of returning to its “extreme policy of appeasement” and alleged that the move disrespected those who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom. The attack came a day after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided to follow the party’s 1937 resolution on Vande Mataram, under which only the first two stanzas of the National Song will be sung at Congress events.
Under the new protocol, a six-stanza version of the National Song, lasting 3 minutes and 10 seconds, will be rendered at designated government functions. By comparison, the National Anthem Jana Gana Mana has a duration of 52 seconds. Shah said the decision was not merely symbolic but a repetition of what he described as a historical error that contributed to the Partition of India. Shah alleged that the Congress had divided Vande Mataram into two parts in 1937 for Muslim appeasement and claimed that the decision laid the foundation for the Partition of India.
Shah said the Narendra Modi government had sought to correct what he called a historical mistake in the 150th year of Vande Mataram’s composition. He said the government had attempted to strengthen national integration by singing the complete song and decided to have it sung in full at all government functions, giving the decision legal form. Shah also criticised Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying the party was once again promoting the politics of appeasement.
“This is a free country, 80 years after independence, the people of this country will not tolerate any opposition to what the Narendra Modi government has corrected, regarding the decision Congress made in 1937,” Shah said. The Congress has strongly defended its decision. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the party’s stand was clear and that it would follow the decision taken by its top leadership in 1937.
“There is no confusion on that. The Congress president categorically said so yesterday in Goa. Today we also discussed the issue in the meeting of the CWC. Our stand is very clear that the 1937 resolution decided in which Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel – the top-most leadership of the party at that point of time were present. Whatever the decision they took, we have decided that. We are very clear that our Congress party workers will do that only. This is our decision,” Venugopal said.
He said singing Vande Mataram and the National Anthem was an emotional issue for the Congress, while alleging that it was a political matter for the BJP. Venugopal also accused the BJP of using the controversy as a distraction from issues such as paper leaks and “chanda chori”. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said a resolution on Vande Mataram was passed at a CWC meeting on October 28, 1937, in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Maulana Azad, following a suggestion from Rabindranath Tagore.
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