New Delhi, September 2026 : The political row over the national song Vande Mataram intensified on Thursday, with the Congress strongly criticising BJP President Nitin Nabin over his remarks against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The BJP, meanwhile, came out in support of its party chief.
Addressing BJP workers in Uttarakhand's Haldwani on Wednesday, Nabin referred to Rahul Gandhi as "Rahul Mian" and alleged that the Congress leader could not understand the significance of Vande Mataram and Indian culture because he was brought up in a "foreign culture".
Nabin also accused the Congress of being driven by an "anti-national and anarchic" mindset.
The remarks drew a sharp response from Congress leader Amar Singh, who urged the BJP president to study the history of the national song. Singh said the Congress Working Committee had taken an important decision on Vande Mataram in 1936.
He also accused the BJP and RSS of attempting to politicise the issue and alleged that the RSS did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters for several decades.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also attacked the BJP, alleging that while Congress leaders were facing imprisonment, torture and lathi charges during the freedom struggle, members of the "Sangh family" were acting as informers and writing letters to the British.
Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput further said that Vande Mataram was deeply rooted in the country's freedom struggle and asserted that the party would continue to sing the national song.
The BJP, however, defended Nabin's comments. Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi described the remarks as the "bitter truth" and alleged that Rahul Gandhi could not appreciate the importance of Vande Mataram because of his education and upbringing in a foreign cultural environment.
Saraogi also referred to the controversy surrounding the rendition of Vande Mataram on Independence Day and accused Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and the Congress of disrespecting the national song for "vote-bank politics".
BJP MLA Ram Kadam also stepped up the attack on the Congress, accusing the party of insulting the national song and damaging India's image abroad.
The exchange has further intensified the political confrontation between the Congress and BJP over Vande Mataram, with both sides invoking the country's freedom struggle and national identity in their attacks against each other.
