New Delhi, 16 August 2026: Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Congress of opposing the national anthem. In a press conference held in New Delhi, party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari had said that senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had tried to stop the singing of 'Vande Mataram' during the Independence Day celebrations at the Congress headquarters. He had claimed that by doing this the Congress has not only insulted the national anthem but has also shown disrespect towards the Constitution and the people of the country.
Bhandari had also alleged that the Congress-led Kerala government had stopped playing the song 'Vande Mataram' in official programmes. He had said that the Kerala government had actually implemented strict implementation as per the intentions of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Responding to BJP's allegations, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh had said that 'Vande Mataram' was sung in full at the party headquarters on Independence Day.
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