Now Reading: Amit Shah calls Congress Vande Mataram stand anti-national, links it to Partition
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Amit Shah calls Congress Vande Mataram stand anti-national, links it to Partition
Amit Shah calls Congress Vande Mataram stand anti-national, links it to Partition
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of taking an "anti-national" decision by restricting the singing of Vande Mataram to only its first two stanzas at party events. Speaking to ANI, Shah said the Congress was reviving its "extreme policy of appeasement" and repeating a historical mistake from 1937 that he alleged laid the foundation for the Partition of India. He called on the country to unite against the decision.
The Congress Working Committee had resolved to follow the party's 1936-37 position on the song. Congress MP KC Venugopal said the party was adhering to the decision taken by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1937. The move follows a controversy after the BJP accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi of talking while Vande Mataram was played during Independence Day celebrations on August 15. NDTV reports Shah's remarks as a charge of "extreme appeasement" and a repetition of a historical error linked to Partition.
Shah said the Narendra Modi government had corrected the historical wrong by promoting the full song and giving the decision a legal framework. He added that the BJP would oppose the Congress decision in public and in legislative assemblies. The Congress has not commented on Shah's latest allegation.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both NDTV and Mathrubhumi give Shah's speech prominent coverage without adding independent reporting. NDTV's shorter version frames the story around Shah's accusation of "extreme appeasement," while Mathrubhumi's longer account includes more of Shah's direct quotes and his call for public opposition. Neither source includes a detailed rebuttal from the Congress, which told ANI it was following the 1937 resolution by Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. The coverage is uniform straight reporting of a political attack. Readers should note that Shah's linkage of a 1937 party decision on a song to the 1947 Partition is a contested historical claim, and the Congress has not yet responded to this specific charge.
The next point to watch is whether the Congress issues a formal response to Shah's Partition allegation, and whether the BJP follows through on its promise to raise the issue in legislative assemblies.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): ndtv.com (neutral report), english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
