New Delhi, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
BJP president Nitin Nabin on Sunday accused the Congress of disrespecting the national song 'Vande Mataram' during its Independence Day celebrations at the party headquarters in New Delhi, alleging that the incident exposed what he described as the party's “double standards” on nationalism.
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“Once again, it has been proven that even eight decades after independence, the Congress has no respect for 'Vande Mataram',” Nabin said.
He alleged that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi signaled to volunteers to stop the song while it was being sung at the party headquarters. Nabin described the alleged gesture as evidence of what he called the Congress' “distorted thinking”.
The controversy erupted on Saturday after a video from the Congress event appeared to show Gandhi making a gesture towards volunteers during the rendition of 'Vande Mataram', reportedly after the first two stanzas.
The BJP criticized Gandhi over the incident. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, however, later clarified that her gesture was not intended to stop the national song but was meant to ask volunteers to arrange a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing for a long time.
Nabin also targeted the Congress-led government in Kerala over the issue, alleging that 'Vande Mataram' had been removed from the state's Independence Day celebrations.
He accused the Congress of following what he described as a policy of “appeasement” and said the alleged disrespect towards the song amounted to an insult to freedom fighters who had embraced it during the freedom struggle and sacrificed their lives for the country.
The BJP president further said the controversy was not merely about the rendition of a song but reflected what he characterized as the “dynastic arrogance” of the Congress and its alleged opposition to symbols associated with national pride.
The Congress has rejected the BJP's interpretation of the incident, with Ramesh offering an explanation for Gandhi's gesture.