Patna: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday remarked that the Congress Working Committee’s (CWC) resolution to sing only the first two stanzas of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ at party events, is an “insult to Bharat Mata”.
Chouhan’s reaction comes on back of the CWC resolution, to continue the tradition as established through 1937 CWC decision, under which only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ are recited at Congress events. The decision assumes significance as the Centre has already made the complete rendition of the national song part of official protocol, bringing at par with the National Anthem.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, the Union Minister said, “Vande Mataram’ was chanted by thousands of revolutionaries who happily embraced the gallows and sacrificed their lives for the country. Vande Mataram is the pride of India.”
“Not singing the complete Vande Mataram is not just an insult to the national song but an insult to Bharat Mata,” he remarked.
Reiterating the allegation made by party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, Chouhan said:” The (Muslim) League mentality of the Congress has not changed yet. In 1937, under the pressure of the Muslim League, the Congress party had decided to not sing the full song.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, Prasad had alleged: “The Congress had made a pact with the Muslim League in 1936-37 and maybe because of this, the Muslim League pressurised (the Congress) to sing only the first two stanzas of the song as the rest of it will ‘hurt its religious sentiments’.”
Further criticising the Congress, Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed that even today the party is not attached to the country’s culture, tradition, moral values and roots and is “instead engaged in vote bank politics”.
Referring to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, the Union Minister asked whether the Congress is above the Constitution and the Parliament ?
“The citizens of the country will not tolerate this insult to ‘Bharat Mata’ and will never forgive the Congress for this,” he asserted.
Earlier, BJP President Nitin Nabin also slammed the decision of the CWC and accused the Congress party of turning the “insult” to the national song into an official party position, calling it the “new Muslim League”.
(IANS)
