New Delhi: The Congress faced a fresh political controversy over Vande Mataram after the full version of the national song was sung at the AICC headquarters during the Independence Day celebrations, despite the party's longstanding preference to limit official renditions to the first two verses. The episode drew criticism from the BJP, while Congress leader Jairam Ramesh defended the full rendition and rejected reports that Sonia Gandhi had tried to stop it.
Ramesh said there was nothing improper about singing the complete song and said Sonia Gandhi's gesture during the rendition was related to arranging a chair for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing. The BJP, however, accused Gandhi of objecting to the full rendition, turning the incident into a fresh political flashpoint between the two parties.
The controversy also highlighted differing approaches within the Congress-ruled states. Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana included the full version of Vande Mataram in their official Independence Day celebrations, following the Centre's directions. In Karnataka, the rendition preceded the flag-hoisting ceremony at Bengaluru's Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground. At the same time, Chief Ministers Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Revanth Reddy attended the corresponding functions in Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.
Kerala was the notable exception among the Congress-governed states, with Vande Mataram omitted from the state government's official Independence Day function. The song was nevertheless sung at other events in the state, including at the Lok Bhavan.
The AICC episode has therefore added a new layer to the ongoing national debate over Vande Mataram, with the BJP pressing the Congress on its position regarding the complete rendition, and the Congress defending its conduct while maintaining that the issue should not be unnecessarily politicised.