Parliament Erupts Over Vande Mataram: Modi Accuses Nehru of ‘Bowing to Jinnah’, Priyanka Hits Back
PM Modi leads fiery 10-hour debate marking 150 years of national song, claims Congress ‘betrayed’ Vande Mataram under Muslim League pressure in 1937; Priyanka Gandhi questions timing, accuses govt of electoral politics ahead of Bengal polls
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha witnessed intense political sparring on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated a historic debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, launching a scathing attack on the Congress party and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru over the national song’s truncation in 1937.
PM Modi alleged that Nehru ‘betrayed’ Vande Mataram by compromising its spirit under pressure from the Muslim League, stating that after Muhammad Ali Jinnah opposed the song in October 1937, Nehru wrote to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose suggesting the song’s background could “irritate the Muslims.”
“Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote that he had read the background of Vande Mataram and thought it might provoke and irritate Muslims,” Modi told the House, drawing protests from Opposition benches.
The Prime Minister claimed that on October 29, 1937, the Congress Working Committee passed a resolution adopting only the first two stanzas of the national song, removing references to Goddess Durga and other Hindu deities. “After Jinnah’s resistance, Nehru saw his chair shaking,” Modi stated, alleging that this compromise on Vande Mataram led to accepting the Partition of India later.
However, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a sharp counter-attack, accusing the BJP of prioritizing electoral politics over national interest. She questioned why the debate was being held now, with West Bengal elections approaching.
“You are sitting here for elections, we are sitting here for the nation,” Priyanka told BJP MPs amid repeated interruptions. She described the focus on the national song as manufactured controversy rather than substantive discussion, questioning the purpose of debating a song that remains alive in every corner of India.
The debate, allocated 10 hours of parliamentary time, saw Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi, and eight Congress MPs participating. Notably, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was absent during PM Modi’s address, prompting BJP’s Sambit Patra to claim both Rahul and Priyanka skipped parts of the debate due to “guilt.”
Gogoi responded, saying “Congress supported Vande Mataram. Congress gave importance to Vande Mataram to make it the national song of India”, adding that the decision in 1937 was made for social harmony and on Rabindranath Tagore’s advice.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur escalated the rhetoric further, targeting Rahul Gandhi as “Jinnah’s Munna” and questioning whether he too opposed the national song like Jinnah did.
The debate marks the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published on November 7, 1875. The discussion will continue in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, with Home Minister Amit Shah set to initiate proceedings in the Upper House.
The political slugfest underscores deepening divisions over historical interpretation as both ruling and opposition parties seek to claim the legacy of India’s freedom struggle ahead of crucial state elections.
