New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday countered Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s allegation that the government initiated a parliamentary discussion on Vande Mataram with an eye on the upcoming West Bengal elections. Shah asserted that the national song transcends electoral politics and holds a timeless importance in India’s freedom movement and national identity.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said it was “unfortunate” to politicise an anthem that has inspired generations of Indians. Without naming Priyanka Gandhi, he criticised opposition leaders for questioning the need to hold a commemorative discussion on the 150 years of Vande Mataram.
Shah defends the timing of the discussion
Shah emphasised that the significance of Vande Mataram is not limited to any region or political season.
“Some members feel that Vande Mataram is being discussed because Bengal polls are approaching. They want to reduce its glory by linking it with elections,” he said. “It is true Bankim Babu was born in Bengal, but Vande Mataram did not remain restricted to Bengal, or even to India. Whenever freedom fighters gathered in secret hideouts across the world, they chanted Vande Mataram.”
He added that the slogan remains a symbol of courage even today. “When our soldiers at the borders lay down their lives, the words on their lips are Vande Mataram,” he said.
Shah argued that the need to discuss the national song existed when it was penned, during the freedom struggle, after Independence, and even today as India approaches its centenary in 2047.
Priyanka questions the need for the debate
A day earlier, Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the government over its decision to prioritise the discussion.
“This song has been in our hearts for over 150 years. Our country has been free for 75 years. What is the need for this debate now?” she asked.
Priyanka alleged that the government refused a debate on electoral reforms unless the opposition agreed to debate Vande Mataram. She accused the ruling party of using national symbols to divert public attention from more pressing issues affecting citizens.
“Your objective is to keep us in the past because this government does not want to look at the present and the future,” she said.
Shah hits back: ‘We don’t fear debates’
Responding to Priyanka’s remarks, Shah said the government had no hesitation in discussing any issue.
“We don’t boycott Parliament. If the opposition allows the House to function, all issues will be discussed. We have nothing to hide,” he said.
He then launched a sharp critique of India’s political history, alleging that appeasement policies started much earlier and affected decisions related to Vande Mataram.
Historical flashpoint over the national song
Shah contended that on the 50th anniversary of Vande Mataram, Jawaharlal Nehru restricted the national song to two stanzas due to appeasement.
“Appeasement began from there, and it led to Partition,” he said. “Many like me believe that if Vande Mataram was not split, Partition may not have happened.”
He accused the Emergency-era government led by Indira Gandhi of suppressing those who invoked the national song. “Lakhs of opposition leaders who said Vande Mataram were jailed,” he said.
Kharge responds with a chant of Vande Mataram
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge opened his speech in the Rajya Sabha by chanting Vande Mataram, asserting that the Congress itself made it the battle cry of the freedom movement.
“It was the Congress that popularised Vande Mataram at its conventions. Did you do it?” he asked the treasury benches.
Kharge accused the government of selectively attacking Nehru for political gain. He reminded the House that the 1937 Congress Working Committee unanimously resolved that only the first two stanzas of the song should be sung at national events.
“Why target Nehruji alone? If you are trying to damage his image, it is impossible,” he said.
He further questioned the ruling party’s own political history. “You formed a government in Bengal with the Muslim League. Where was your patriotism then?” he asked.
Opposition alleges political motives
Kharge reiterated the charge that the discussion was timed strategically ahead of state elections.
“The true tribute to Bharat Mata will be this Parliament working on people’s issues,” he said, accusing the government of using cultural debates to distract from governance challenges.
Conclusion
The parliamentary debate over Vande Mataram has triggered a wider political dispute over history, nationalism and electoral strategies. As both sides trade accusations, the discussion has become less about the national song itself and more about competing narratives of patriotism.