'Congress Pandering To Communal Agenda': BJP Hits Out Over Politics On Reciting Vande Mataram

Last Updated:November 07, 2025, 09:40 IST

As India marks 150 years of Vande Mataram, political clashes have erupted nationwide, with the BJP accusing Congress of “communalising” the national song since Nehru’s era.

More than fifty thousand students gather to sing Vande Mataram in Rajasthan's Uadipur (Photo: PTI)

As India commemorates 150 years of Vande Mataram, the iconic song that stirred the freedom struggle, a wave of political controversy has engulfed national and state politics, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress trading sharp accusations, and regional rows breaking out in Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Rajasthan.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend a mass recital of the full version of Vande Mataram at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Stadium, marking the start of celebrations at 150 historic sites across India.

The BJP has described the campaign, which runs until Constitution Day on November 26, as a “festival of nationalism."

BJP BLAMES CONGRESS FOR ‘TRUNCATING’ VANDE MATARAM

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan has accused the Congress of communalising Vande Mataram since the pre-Independence era.

Kesavan alleged that under Jawaharlal Nehru’s presidency in 1937, the Congress “brazenly pandered to its communal agenda" by adopting only a truncated version of Vande Mataram that omitted verses invoking Goddess Durga.

Quoting from Nehru’s correspondence with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Kesavan, in an X post, mentioned that Nehru had written that Vande Mataram’s background was “likely to irritate Muslims."

“It is imperative for our younger generation to know how the Congress party brazenly pandering to its communal agenda under the Presidentship of Nehru, adopted only a truncated Vande Mataram as the party’s national song in its 1937 Faizpur Session, while PM Narendra Modi ji today will inaugurate the 150th year commemoration & participate in the mass recital of the full version of our glorious Vande Mataram across the nation."

“The Congress committed the historic sin and blunder of linking the song with religion. Congress under Nehru, citing religious grounds, deliberately removed stanzas of Vande Mataram which hailed Goddess Ma Durga," he wrote.

Sharing letters by Nehru, Kesavan mentioned, “In a letter dated Sep 1, 1937, Nehru spitefully writes that anybody considering the words in Vande Mataram as anything to do with a Goddess was absurd. He also derisively opines that Vande Mataram is not suitable as a national song."

“On Oct 20, 1937, Nehru wrote to Netaji Bose claiming that the background of Vande Mataram was likely to irritate Muslims. He went on to say that there does seem to be substance regarding the outcry against Vande Mataram and people who are communalistically inclined have been affected by it," Kasavan wrote.

“In 1937, if Nehru, as Congress President, blanked out the mention of Goddess Ma Durga by truncating Vande Mataram, Rahul Gandhi in March 2024 maliciously remarked ‘There is a word called Shakti in Hindu Dharma and we are fighting against Shakti’."

“The Hindu Virodhi mentality of Nehru finds a pungent echo in Rahul Gandhi, who recently demeaned and maligned the sacred Chatth Puja as a drama, hurting the sentiments of crores of devotees," he added.

IN BENGAL, BJP SLAMS MAMATA’s ‘STATE ANTHEM’ MOVE

In West Bengal, a fresh debate erupted after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced plans for a separate state anthem.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh criticised the move, saying it undermined Bengal’s legacy as the birthplace of Vande Mataram.

“There is hardly any logic in what Mamata Banerjee and her party do," Ghosh said.

“Vande Mataram was created in Bengal. Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee are both ours, one wrote the national anthem, the other the national song. How can there be a separate song for the state?" he asked.

SAMAJWADI PARTY’s ABU AZMI REFUSES TO RECITE VANDE MATARAM

In Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi stoked a controversy by refusing to recite Vande Mataram, saying it goes “against the tenets of Islam."

Subsequently, BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha announced plans for a community recital of the national song outside the residences of Azmi and Congress MLAs Aslam Shaikh and Amin Patel.

Azmi hit back sharply, saying there was no need for political drama over the issue.

“Why does he need to come here? It is already sung in the Assembly and Parliament," Azmi said.

“The Kerala High Court has said respecting the national song and anthem is important, not singing it. When we were asked to remove loudspeakers from mosques, we complied. Why go against court orders and force the song upon us?" he asked.

Commenting on the controversy, BJP leader Navnath Ban said, “If people like Abu Azmi have a problem with Vande Mataram, they should go to Pakistan."

ROW OVER ORDER TO RECITE VANDE MATARAM IN RAJASTHAN MADRASAS

Rajasthan: Row Over Reciting Vande Mataram in Madrasas

In Rajasthan, the directive by state Education Minister Madan Dilawar ordering the recital of Vande Mataram in madrasas sparked a political face-off.

The Congress accused the BJP of “politicising a non-issue," saying the song has long been part of school routines in the state.

“This is nothing but an attempt to inflame communal tensions for political gain," said a Congress spokesperson, alleging that the BJP was “manufacturing controversy around what should unite all Indians."

Composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and recited publicly by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896, Vande Mataram became a rallying cry of India’s independence movement and was adopted as the national song in 1950.

As the nation marks its 150th year, the song that once symbolised unity against colonial rule has now become a flashpoint in India’s political discourse, bridging history, faith, and the contest for national identity.

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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