Maharashtra Congress Accuses BJP Of Using ‘Vande Mataram’ To Target Muslims

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress accused the BJP of creating an “unnecessary” controversy over Vande Mataram. Spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the BJP was using the national song to target minority legislators and advance its polarisation agenda. He condemned a Vande Mataram protest outside Congress MLAs Aslam Shaikh and Amin Patel’s offices as intimidation.

Branding the BJP’s actions as a clear display of “double standards and hypocritical nationalism”, Mr. Sawant said, “The BJP created an unfortunate controversy over the national song, Vande Mataram. Their intention was to deliberately target representatives of the minority community by holding a programme to sing Vande Mataram outside the offices of Congress MLAs Aslam Shaikh and Amin Patel.”

The Congress spokesperson alleged that the BJP uses the national song for its agenda of polarisation. Citing the reported ban on the chanting of slogans like ‘Jai Hind’ or ‘Vande Mataram’ in the Rajya Sabha, he added, “Those who did not have the courage to say Vande Mataram during the British rule have now imposed a ban on sining it inside the temple of democracy (Parliament). This is what is called the BJP’s double standards and hypocritical nationalism.”

Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, ‘Vande Mataram’ was first published in the literary journal ‘Bangadarshan’ on November 7, 1875. Later, he incorporated the hymn in his novel ‘Anandamath’ which was published in 1882. On 24 January 1950, India’s constituent assembly adopted it as a national song.

The row intensified following an alleged protest by the BJP to target two Muslim legislators from Mumbai on November 7 — the 150th anniversary of the song. The Congress refuted the BJP’s allegations that any of its party legislators had opposed the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’, terming the BJP’s campaign as “false, shameful, and condemnable”.