Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a sharp counterattack in Parliament during the debate on the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram”, accusing the government of using the issue for political gain ahead of the Bengal elections. She said there was no need for a debate on the national song since “Vande Mataram lives in every part of India” and has been an emotional symbol throughout the freedom struggle.
Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the ruling BJP was attempting to dig up historical controversies to avoid discussing the country’s present challenges. She also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “selectively quoting” Jawaharlal Nehru and misrepresenting historical facts for political narrative-building.
Responding to PM Modi’s claim that Nehru had “partitioned Vande Mataram” under pressure from the Muslim League, she read from original letters exchanged between Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Rabindranath Tagore. Citing these documents, she said both Nehru and Tagore believed the first two stanzas of the song reflected national pride and unity, while later additions from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Anandamath could be interpreted as communal in the tense atmosphere of the 1930s.
She reminded the House that it was the Congress Working Committee, in 1937, that officially recognised Vande Mataram as the national song on the advice of Tagore and with respect to its role in India’s freedom movement.
According to Priyanka Gandhi, the BJP’s constant references to Nehru were politically motivated. “If you want to list the alleged insults to Nehru, fix a date, debate it once, and close the chapter,” she said, urging that Parliament’s time be used for real issues affecting citizens.
Leaders from Congress and allies like the DMK echoed her accusation that the government was distorting history. The debate came a month after the nation marked 150 years since Vande Mataram was first published in 1875.
