Political Row Erupts Over Congress Decision to Limit Vande Mataram Rendition

A political dispute has emerged after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) reaffirmed a 1937 resolution to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events. Union Home Minister Amit Shah condemned the decision as anti national, accusing the Congress of pursuing vote bank appeasement and disregarding the law. Shah linked the 1937 stand to the sentiments that led to the 1947 Partition and stated that the current government corrected this historic mistake by requiring the full song at government programs. In response, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh dismissed the accusations as fake nationalism and argued that the law does not prevent political parties from singing the original version. Within the Congress party, some members expressed unease, suggesting the leadership played to the BJP's strength and should have handled the matter with more nuance. Legal head Abhishek Manu Singhvi noted a distinction between public government functions and private party functions, asserting that the BJP is attempting to conflate patriotism with a six stanza test. The row follows a period of inconsistency in practice, as Vande Mataram was sung in full during official Independence Day events in Congress ruled Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, while the Congress led government in Kerala skipped the rendition entirely.