Descendant of Bankim Chandra seeks apology

The political controversy over the rendition of Vande Mataram took a personal turn on Saturday when Sumitro Chatterjee, a BJP MLA and direct descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, wrote to Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi demanding an unconditional apology. The Times of India reported that Chatterjee's letter referred to a video from the Congress's August 15 function, in which Gandhi appeared to gesture and speak to party president Mallikarjun Kharge while the full version of the national song was being sung.

In his letter, Chatterjee said the episode left him with 'deep pain, emptiness and anguish,' and alleged that 'physical gestures' reflected 'unease, impatience and repeated attempts to stop' the song. He added that the reaction hurt him as a citizen and as a direct descendant of the author of Vande Mataram.

Congress reaffirms 1937 stance

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday reaffirmed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at party programmes, a decision rooted in a 1937 resolution. Addressing the press after the meeting, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the stand was clear and that the 1937 resolution was taken by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel. Asked whether only two stanzas would be sung at party events, he replied, 'Yes, first two stanzas.'

Venugopal called singing the National Song and the National Anthem an 'emotional issue' for the Congress but political for the BJP, and described the BJP's criticism as a distraction from other issues.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the resolution was passed at a CWC meeting on October 28, 1937, in the presence of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose and Maulana Azad, at the suggestion of Tagore. Ramesh said that Rajendra Prasad, the Congress's first president, had said that Jana Gana Mana would be the national anthem and Vande Mataram the national song.

Tagore advised in a letter to Nehru in October 1937 that the first two stanzas could be treated separately, as they had a broader national character, while the later portions of the song contain religious and mythological imagery. Nehru also defended the decision, arguing that the latter portions had specific religious and contextual references.

Kharge hits back at Shah

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, questioned the Centre's characterisation of the Congress's position as 'anti-national' and 'appeasement politics.' Speaking to reporters in Karnataka's Kalaburagi, Kharge defended the practice of singing the first two stanzas, saying the decision was made in 1937 by national leaders, including Gandhi, Nehru, Bose and Patel. 'If we sing as per what they said - are we Desh Drohis (anti-national)?' he asked.

Kharge noted that the Congress had followed the decision for nearly 90 years and that the party and its Seva Dal had been singing Vande Mataram for years. He compared the practice with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, whose original five stanzas are not all sung today. He also accused the BJP and the Modi government of using the issue for 'politics of polarisation', and took a swipe at Amit Shah, asking why a decision on singing the full version had not been taken earlier despite Shah having served as home minister for years.

Kharge defended the version he sang, saying it was the same one used by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and accused the BJP of being unaware of historical decisions. Addressing criticism of Nehru, he said the focus should be on education, employment, inflation, investment and improving the lives of the poor.

BJP and allies react

BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan criticised the Congress resolution to sing the first two stanzas, saying that the party has always undermined the importance of the national song. He called the original Vande Mataram - written in 1875 - the soul of the independence movement, and said Nehru's Congress systematically 'whitewashed and erased' it from national memory and public discourse. 'Today, Rahul Gandhi's Congress and the same betrayal against Vande Mataram, and Sonia Gandhi's unpardonable act of insulting Vande Mataram only reflects the chronic communal mindset of the Congress Party,' Kesavan said, while thanking Prime Minister Modi for restoring its honour. He also noted that the matter stands above political differences.

Among other reactions, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP's Manoj Tiwari attacked the Congress over the row, with allegations that Sonia Gandhi asked party president to stop the rendition. The controversy emerged after videos were presented showing senior Congress leaders conversing during the singing, with the BJP alleging Gandhi had gestured.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said that Vande Mataram represents devotion to the motherland and that there should be no objection if people sing two stanzas. He recalled that in the 1937 Congress session, only two stanzas were sung in the presence of Nehru, Patel, Gandhi and Bose.

Congress leader Rakesh Sinha criticised the BJP's resolution, saying it opposes the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Rabindranath Tagore, and that it appears that followers of are trying to oppose these national leaders.

Complaints against Sonia Gandhi

The Times of India reported that complaints have been filed in Delhi and Karnataka against Sonia Gandhi over her alleged conduct during the rendition on August 15. The BJP leaders had lodged a complaint at the Urwa Police Station in Karnataka, alleging she disrespected the national song, while a Delhi complaint sought an FIR.

Government guidelines and commemoration

India Today reported that the Union Home Ministry issued fresh guidelines mandating Vande Mataram at designated government functions, with a six-stanza version lasting 3 minutes 10 seconds. It will be performed at civilian honours - including Padma Awards - and at events attended by the President. Standing during the song is to be mandatory at official events, though not in cinema halls, and schools have been directed to begin the day with the National Anthem. Prime Minister Modi launched a year-long commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram, releasing a commemorative stamp and coin