New Delhi, August 20: The Congress party has reaffirmed its commitment to singing only the first two verses of ‘Vande Mataram,’ maintaining its long-standing tradition. Party leaders emphasized that they will follow the path set by freedom fighters rather than adhere to the new protocol introduced by the central government. Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar stated that the full recitation of ‘Vande Mataram’ has been made mandatory due to hatred towards Muslims.
This statement comes a day after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) reiterated a decision made in 1937, which specified that only the first two verses of ‘Vande Mataram’ would be sung at Congress events. This is significant as the central government has recently included the full rendition of the national song in its official protocol.
Aiyar expressed his satisfaction with the Congress’s decision, stating, “I am pleased that Congress firmly decided to sing only the first two verses of ‘Vande Mataram,’ as it was determined in 1937 based on the advice of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Today, we are once again following that path.”
When asked if the government mandated the full recitation due to anti-Muslim sentiments, Aiyar responded, “And what? They believe that if you are against Muslims, only then can you be Hindu, only then can you be Indian.”
Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal remarked, “The Congress Working Committee has resolved to follow the path laid out by leaders who fought for India’s freedom—be it Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, or Maulana Azad. When these leaders collectively granted the two-verse version of ‘Vande Mataram’ the status of a national song, how could they teach the country about patriotism? Can those who did not participate in the freedom struggle teach us the meaning of patriotism?”
Senior Bihar Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan added, “The CWC is the most significant and respected institution for all of us. We must adhere to the thoughts and decisions of great leaders like Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Rajendra Prasad. These great leaders made crucial decisions together, and we should honor and follow what they established.”
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