BJP Criticizes Congress Over Vande Mataram Resolution

The Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a fierce political attack on the Congress following a resolution by its working committee to sing only the first two stanzas of the national song Vande Mataram at party events. BJP President Nitin Nabin accused the Congress of formalizing what he termed an insult to the national song, while the party defended its decision as consistent with a historical precedent from 1937.

The controversy intensified after the Congress Working Committee, on August 19, 2026, reaffirmed the practice of reciting only the initial two stanzas of Vande Mataram at its gatherings. BJP President Nitin Nabin, in a statement on August 19, said the Congress had now given its "insult" the form of a resolution. He argued this decision dishonored the martyrs of India's freedom struggle who were inspired by the song. "When, just a few days ago, this same insult had been exposed in the conduct of an individual, the Congress had dismissed it as a coincidence. Today, that very insult has become the Congress's policy," Nabin stated, connecting the resolution to a recent Independence Day event.

The referenced Independence Day incident occurred on August 15 at the Congress...