# Congress sticks to two stanzas of Vande Mataram, BJP calls party new Muslim League 2026-08-19T21:14:22+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets The Congress Working Committee has reaffirmed its 1937 position that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at party events. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi told the meeting that unity is the party's ideology and strength. He also instructed chief ministers of Congress-ruled states to ensure transparency in education and said the party will take up student issues across the country. The BJP immediately attacked the decision. National president Nitin Nabin said Congress has "institutionalised the insult to Vande Mataram". Spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi called the party the "new Muslim League", accusing it of showing the same stubbornness against the full version of the national song that the League had shown. He said the Congress decision raises questions about its patriotism and loyalty. Congress leaders in Maharashtra hit back. State president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the BJP is stoking Hindu-Muslim divisions over the song because it has no developmental achievements to showcase. MP Imran Pratapgarhi said those who supported the British should not teach Congress about patriotism. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage splits on predictable lines. News.abplive.com foregrounds Rahul Gandhi's organisational message and student outreach, treating the Vande Mataram resolution as one of several agenda items. The New Indian Express and Times of India lead with the BJP's fierce critique, quoting Trivedi and Nabin at length and framing the decision as a continuation of the Muslim League's 1937 position. The Deccan Chronicle runs a Congress counter-narrative, quoting Sapkal that the BJP has no development record and is stoking division. Neither the BJP nor Congress camp addresses the central tension: a Parliament law makes insulting the national song an offence, but no court has mandated singing all stanzas. The measured read: the resolution is a symbolic replay of a 1937 internal party rule, not a legal challenge, but the BJP has successfully forced the Congress onto the defensive on a patriotic symbol ahead of state elections. ## Coverage Coverage: 4 sources, 1 pro-government, 2 government-critical, 1 neutral - news.abplive.com (neutral report) leads with Rahul Gandhi's unity message and student issues, frames Vande Mataram resolution neutrally as one item - newindianexpress.com (government critical) leads with BJP's Muslim League accusation and questions of patriotism, no Congress views - deccanchronicle.com (pro government) leads with Congress counter-attack that BJP stokes Hindu-Muslim division for lack of development - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (government critical) leads with BJP chief's insult charge, uses historical Muslim League concession narrative This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources. Last updated 2026-08-20T02:06:12+00:00. Tags: BJP, Indian National Congress, Pune, Rahul Gandhi, Vande Mataram Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/congress-limits-vande-mataram-singing-to-first-two-stanzas/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/congress-limits-vande-mataram-singing-to-first-two-stanzas/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/