New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has defended the party’s position amid the growing political controversy over the rendition of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters on Independence Day, saying the party performed the same version that had been sung by Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Kharge said the version performed at the August 15 event had been used by the Congress for nearly 18 years and questioned whether continuing with the established rendition could be considered wrong.
The controversy erupted after the BJP alleged that Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, had disrupted the rendition of the National Song during the Independence Day programme at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi.
Congress has rejected the allegations. The party has maintained that the complete version of Vande Mataram was performed during the event and claimed that Sonia Gandhi’s gesture was related to arranging a chair for Kharge, who had reportedly been standing for some time.
The issue escalated further after a complaint was submitted to the Delhi Police against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over their alleged conduct during the rendition. Police have confirmed that the complaint is being examined, but the allegations have not been established.
Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy also criticised Sonia Gandhi over the controversy, making personal remarks about her background and questioning her connection with India.
The political dispute comes as the country marks the continuing historical significance of Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee during the freedom movement. The song was adopted as India’s National Song in 1937 and played an important role in mobilising people during the struggle for independence.
Kharge’s remarks underline the Congress position that the party followed an established version of the song, while the BJP continues to question the conduct of its senior leaders during the Independence Day ceremony.
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