Congress Party Formalizes Decision to Sing Only First Two Stanzas of Vande Mataram
2 sources · India
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- Scroll.in
- The Indian Express
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The Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided on Wednesday that the party will sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at its programs. Party leaders cited a 1937 CWC resolution to support this position, stating that early leaders of the freedom movement, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Sardar Patel, backed limiting the public rendition of the song to the first two stanzas. A left leaning source noted that the 1937 resolution omitted the remaining four verses because they invoked the Hindu goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.
The decision follows a dispute with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding the rendition of the national song at an Independence Day event in Delhi and a subsequent event in Goa. The BJP has alleged that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi disrupted the singing of the song in Delhi, leading the Delhi Police to investigate a complaint. In response, Congress leader K C Venugopal stated there is no confusion regarding the party's stance and argued that while the national anthem and national song are emotional for Congress, they are treated as political issues by the BJP.
This controversy occurs as the Narendra Modi government passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, which makes attempts to prevent the singing or playing of Vande Mataram a criminal offense. Additionally, the Union home ministry previously directed that all six stanzas be sung when played alongside the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. In Parliament, Prime Minister Modi has alleged that the Congress's historical opposition to the full version of the song was intended to avoid irritating Muslims.
During the same CWC meeting, the party also discussed strategies for nationwide campaigns against the BJP government. These campaigns will focus on student protests over exam paper leaks and allegations of donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
How each side framed it
- Left
- The left leaning source emphasized the religious reasons for omitting specific stanzas and highlighted the potential overreach of criminal laws regarding national honors.
- Centre
- The center leaning source focused on the party's strategic decision making and the broader political context of the CWC meeting.
Sources
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