Congress insulted, compromised on Vande Mataram: PM's top quotes in Lok Sabha

51 minutes ago 4

ARTICLE AD BOX

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the 150th-anniversary discussion on Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha to launch a strong attack on the Congress, accusing it of repeatedly insulting and compromising on the national song.

PM Modi Vande Mataram Debate

UPDATED: Dec 8, 2025 13:44 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while initiating the special Vande Mataram discussion in the Lok Sabha, used the occasion to deliver a sharp political attack on the Congress, invoking historical references from the freedom struggle to the Emergency.

Marking 150 years of the national song, the PM detailed how Vande Mataram became a powerful unifying force during British rule and accused the Congress of repeatedly “insulting” and “compromising” on it.

Modi recalled how the British had launched their divide-and-rule strategy from Bengal, believing that breaking Bengal would weaken the entire nation. He said Vande Mataram, emerging from the same state, stood “like a rock” against the colonial plan and became a “clarion call for unity.” The PM also cited Jawaharlal Nehru’s correspondence with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to allege that Nehru believed Vande Mataram could incite Muslims.

Slamming the Congress over its historical decisions, the Prime Minister said the national song was “partitioned first” before the country was divided, accusing the party of surrendering before the Muslim League. He further said that when Vande Mataram completed 100 years, the Constitution was “choked” under the Emergency imposed by a Congress government.

Parliament has allotted 10 hours for the special discussion on Vande Mataram in both Houses. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will lead the Opposition’s response.

HERE ARE PM'S TOP QUOTES

“Vande Mataram became the voice of our freedom movement. It integrated everyone in the country and became the resolve of every Indian... ‘Swaarth ka balidaan hai ye shabd Vande Mataram’... ‘Veer ka abhimaan hai ye shabd Vande Mataram’... Bankim da composed the song to shake the conscience of the country and bring an awakening. This song was to revive our history and legacy of a thousand years.”
“During the British era, it became a fashion to show India as weak, useless, lazy, and demeaned in all possible ways. The same language was spoken by people in our country as well.”
“Britishers started to divide and rule from Bengal. They knew if they could break Bengal, they could break the country. But at that time, Vande Mataram, emerging from the same state, became a challenge for them and stood rock solid for the country. It became a clarion call for our unity.”
“Vande Mataram was written at a time when British rulers were trying to impose ‘God Save the Queen’ on Indian households. Vande Mataram is not just a mantra for political freedom; it was a sacred war cry to rid Bharatmata of vestiges of colonialism.”
“Vande Mataram was not just a mantra for political independence. It was way beyond that. The freedom movement was a war to free our motherland from the clutches of slavery... During our Vedas, it was said, ‘This land is my mother, and I am the son of the soil.’ Shri Ram conveyed the same idea: Vande Mataram is a modern avatar of our great cultural legacy.”
“There is no leadership and opposition here. We are here to appreciate and accept the debt of Vande Mataram collectively. It united the nation from North to South and from East to West. The time has come to unite again and move together.”
“This song should inspire and energise us to fulfil the dreams of our freedom fighters. We need to reiterate the resolve to make our nation self-reliant and developed by 2047.”
“When Vande Mataram completed 50 years, India was under British rule. When it completed 100 years, India was in the clutches of Emergency... At that time, the patriots were imprisoned. The song that inspired our freedom movement—unfortunately, India was witnessing a black period.”