Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has strongly criticised the Congress party for its stance on Vande Mataram, the National Song of India. Mr. Singh stated that the Congress formally refusing to respect Vande Mataram, and directly opposing it, is extremely unfortunate and a very serious matter from a constitutional perspective.
The Congress Working Committee had decided to sing only two stanzas of the National Song at party events, citing its 1937 resolution. Mr. Singh pointed out that this decision was made by bowing to the extremist demands of the Muslim League, which had disastrous consequences for the country, including Partition. He warned that compromising before extremist elements has always proved disastrous for the country and that the Congress’s decision is a sign of a serious threat to the future of the country.
Mr. Singh also stated that the Congress’s decision is completely unconstitutional and condemnable, and politically, it has the potential to create a serious crisis in the future. He added that by opposing Vande Mataram, the Congress has revealed its thoughtless and dangerous intentions before the country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also criticised the Congress party for its stand on Vande Mataram. BJP leader and Union Minister J.P. Nadda described the Congress’s decision as cheap and diversionary politics. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court has already taken cognisance of the July 20 incident and constituted a five-member high-powered committee headed by a former Judge.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also condemned the Congress’s decision, saying it is anti-national and deals a blow to the dreams of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. He added that the Congress has always resorted to such actions for its appeasement politics.
The BJP’s state unit president, Mahendra Bhatt, has also termed the Congress’s decision as an insult to the national song and Bharat Mata, describing it as the height of the policy of appeasement.
