Vande Mataram Rendition Sparks Fresh Turmoil Within INDIA Bloc
Congress and National Conference clash over full Vande Mataram rendition at a Srinagar event, drawing sharp BJP criticism.
A political storm has erupted within the opposition INDIA alliance after the Congress objected to the full rendition of 'Vande Mataram' at an event in Srinagar attended by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah.
The dispute began when Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal posted a video of the song being sung at the international film festival, advising the NC to stick to the truncated version. He argued that the full version conflicts with the syncretic ethos envisioned by freedom fighters, citing the considered judgment of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Maulana Azad.
The National Conference swiftly rejected the Congress's stance. NC leader Bashir Ahmed asserted that an alliance partner cannot dictate terms on such matters, emphasizing that imposing a particular version of the song on people is against their principles.
The Congress escalated the matter by accusing the NC of bowing to pressure from the RSS, with leader Kapil Singh urging the Abdullahs to respect the alliance's decision rather than that of 'Nagpur'.
The BJP has seized on the discord to attack the Congress. Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed the party's objection proves it has become a 'Muslim League of the 21st century', fully surrendered to fundamentalist forces. Another BJP leader, R.S. Pathania, noted that even separatists in the Valley did not object to the national song.
This clash follows the Congress Working Committee's recent decision to sing only two stanzas of the song at party events, a move that came amid BJP accusations of disrespect. The central government had earlier mandated the playing of all six stanzas at official functions.