Congress insulting freedom fighters: Amit Shah attacks party's Vande Mataram stand

Amit Shah accused Congress of "appeasement politics" over its refusal to follow the protocol for singing the full Vande Mataram at government functions. He alleged the 1937 decision to split the song contributed to Partition and said Congress had insulted Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and freedom fighters.

In Short

• Amit Shah claims Congress split the song for appeasement politics
• Accuses Congress of insulting freedom fighters, Bankim Chandra
• Congress sticks to singing only two stanzas at its events

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events, accusing it of reviving its “extreme policy of appeasement” and insulting those who sacrificed their lives for India’s Independence.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday decided to follow the party’s 1937 resolution on Vande Mataram and sing only the first two stanzas of the National Song at all party events.

The Union Home Ministry has issued fresh guidelines mandating the singing or playing of Vande Mataram at designated government functions. 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.

Speaking to ANI, 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.

AMIT SHAH SAYS CONGRESS REPEATED 1937 DECISION

“Yesterday, the Congress Party Working Committee took a surprising and anti-national decision. Following their party's resolution of 1937, they have decided to sing only two stanzas of the great song, Vande Mataram,” Shah said.

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.

“I want to remind the entire country that in 1937, for Muslim appeasement, the Congress party laid the foundation for the partition of the country by dividing Vande Mataram into two. From there, the two-nation theory gained strength and eventually, the country was partitioned and Pakistan was born,” he said.

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.

He accused the Congress of ignoring the decision.

“This decision by the Congress only confirms their extreme policy of appeasement. For vote bank appeasement, they have not only insulted the immortal work of the late Bankim Babu, but also millions of martyrs who went to the gallows for the country's independence while chanting Vande Mataram, and spent many years in jail,” Shah said.

SHAH ATTACKS RAHUL GANDHI AND APPEALS TO PEOPLE

Shah also criticised Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying the party was once again promoting the politics of appeasement.

“Today, the Congress party is accepting its party resolution of 1937 and rejecting the Act of Parliament. I'm quite surprised that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party is once again vigorously promoting the politics of appeasement in this country,” he said.

Shah appealed to people to raise their voices against the Congress’ decision.

He said the country had already suffered “grave consequences” after Vande Mataram was divided into two and argued that people should unite against what he described as 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.

CONGRESS DEFENDS ITS 1937 RESOLUTION

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.

Asked whether only two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at party events, Venugopal said, “Yes, first two stanzas.”

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”.

JAIRAM RAMESH CITES 1937 CWC RESOLUTION

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.

“There was a discussion on that resolution in today's meeting of CWC Congress president also read out a part of the earlier resolution. There is no controversy on this issue. This issue is being made out deliberately as today's issue is youth, examinations, 'chanda chori' and failure of foreign policy,” Ramesh said.

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