New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday used a Lok Sabha discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram to launch a sharp attack on the Congress, drawing parallels between the national song’s centenary in 1975 and the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Mr. Modi also accused India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, of having opposed the full version of Vande Mataram on the grounds that it could “irritate Muslims”, comparing his stance to that of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
PM Modi invokes history in sharp criticism of Congress
Addressing the Lok Sabha during a special debate, Prime Minister Modi said the national song had been central to India’s Independence movement and deserved renewed respect. He pointed out that the song, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in November 1875, became a unifying force for freedom fighters.
“When Vande Mataram celebrated its 100th anniversary, the country was entangled in the Emergency… the Constitution was strangled,” he said.
“Now, at 150 years, it is a good opportunity to restore the glory of Vande Mataram, which won us freedom in 1947.”
He highlighted India’s recent commemorations — 75 years of the Constitution, 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Birsa Munda, and the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur — as part of a continuum of national remembrance. He said the 150-year mark of Vande Mataram was another moment of patriotic reflection.
BJP escalates criticism of Congress over 1937 stance
The BJP has intensified its attack on the Congress in the lead-up to this Parliamentary debate. It alleges that the party, during its 1937 session in Faizabad, deliberately “truncated” Vande Mataram by adopting only its first two stanzas for national gatherings.
These stanzas do not contain references to Hindu goddesses Durga, Lakshmi (Kamala) and Saraswati, which appear in the later verses.
The BJP claims this omission was driven by “appeasement” of sections of the Muslim community and was the first step in a divisive approach that ultimately resulted in Partition.
Mr. Modi repeated this allegation in his speech, saying:
“In 1937, a portion of Vande Mataram was severed. The division sowed the seeds of the nation’s division.”
What happened in 1937?
The Congress Working Committee, under Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership, resolved in 1937 that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram should be sung at national events.
The party argued that the remaining stanzas — which explicitly invoked Hindu goddesses — were not acceptable to a section of the Muslim community and risked exclusion.
The resolution stated:
“Taking all things into consideration… whenever Vande Mataram is sung at national gatherings, only the first two stanzas should be sung.”
However, the Congress also clarified that individuals were free to sing any version or any additional patriotic song if they wished.
BJP cites Nehru–Bose letters to revive controversy
The latest phase of the row began when BJP spokesperson C.R. Kesavan shared excerpts from Nehru’s 1937 letters to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Kesavan claimed the letters showed Nehru supported removing verses referencing Durga, and that he viewed concerns about the lyrics as legitimate.
Kesavan alleged that Nehru wrote dismissively about those who believed the song invoked the goddess, arguing that the first Prime Minister had shown “contempt” for the traditional understanding of the lyrics.
However, a closer reading of the letters indicates that Nehru considered the interpretation of the lyrics as goddess worship to be misplaced, not the people themselves.
He wrote:
“I think the whole song and all the words in it are thoroughly harmless and nobody can take exception to them… that interpretation is absurd.”
Nehru also stated that although nationalist sentiment must not “pander to communalists”, genuine grievances should be addressed. He described parts of the song as “out of keeping with modern notions of nationalism”.
A renewed cultural and political battleground
The 150th anniversary has revived a long-standing cultural dispute that frequently resurfaces during political confrontations. For the BJP, the song symbolises cultural nationalism and the spiritual unity of India. For the Congress, its 1937 decision reflects an attempt to maintain inclusiveness in a diverse society.
The debate, scheduled for 10 hours in the Lok Sabha, has already drawn sharp responses from both sides. With multiple Opposition leaders expected to speak, the discussion is likely to continue shaping political narratives well beyond the Winter Session.