The political debate over Vande Mataram has taken a fresh turn, with the Congress and its ally, the National Conference (NC), adopting divergent positions on the rendition of the national song.
The controversy erupted after all six stanzas of Vande Mataram were played at the inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar, attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal objected, insisting only the two‑stanza version adopted in 1937 should be sung to preserve India’s “syncretic and pluralist ethos.” He argued that the Congress‑backed version was chosen to prevent the song from being “communalised.”
The NC rejected this stance, with party leader Bashir Ahmed saying Congress could not dictate terms to alliance partners and that the choice should rest with the people.
The disagreement has added strain within the INDIA bloc, where Congress provides outside support to the Omar Abdullah‑led J&K government. Congress leader Kapil Singh escalated the exchange, urging the Abdullahs to respect the Congress position rather than follow the “Nagpur line,” a reference to the RSS.
The BJP quickly pounced, accusing Congress of appeasement politics. Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi likened Congress to a “new Muslim League,” while other BJP leaders argued that even separatists had not objected to Vande Mataram.
The row comes weeks after the Congress Working Committee reaffirmed its 1937 resolution to restrict renditions to the first two stanzas, a decision the BJP has repeatedly attacked as disrespectful to the national song.