New Delhi [India], August 22 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its resolution condemning the Congress Working Committee's decision on 'Vande Mataram', saying the ruling party should instead focus on issues such as unemployment, inflation and the concerns of the country's youth.
Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi said, "I wish there had been condemnation regarding the use of pellet guns on children and the brandishing of AK-47s in Bihar; I wish there had been concern about why the country's youth are standing on the brink of unemployment."
"There are so many issues facing the nation, yet you want to keep the 'Vande Mataram' issue at the forefront because you believe it will yield political gain," she said.
Chaturvedi further said that the BJP should address issues affecting ordinary citizens instead of focusing on the National Song controversy.
"If you go to the public and talk about 'Vande Mataram' while ordinary citizens are grappling with the burden of inflation, they will tell you to focus on their priorities and discuss those instead," she said.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also questioned the BJP's position on 'Vande Mataram' and asked why the song was not sung at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakhas.
"Tell me one thing, these people who salute like this, what is it... 'Namaste Sada Vatsale', why didn't they sing Vande Mataram? Tell us, why wasn't Vande Mataram sung at their place?" Dikshit said.
He said 'Vande Mataram' had been sung at Congress sessions and questioned the BJP over the duration for which the song was traditionally rendered.
"Vande Mataram was sung in all the Congress sessions and is there any reason why we used to sing the song in short? It is a different matter that mostly long national songs or national anthems are not sung for so long and there are many things hidden in their meanings; let's not get into that," he said.
Dikshit further questioned the BJP's use of 'Vande Mataram' in its political discourse.
"You can sing it, right? Why weren't you singing it for 70 years? I want to ask you people, by taking the slogan of Vande Mataram, by making Vande Mataram the main song, how many branches of Sangh are there?" he said.
The remarks came after the BJP on Saturday passed a resolution on the "honour and historic legacy" of 'Vande Mataram' and announced a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the National Song's history and significance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrived at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Saturday evening following the party's resolution.
The BJP strongly condemned the Congress Working Committee's decision to re-adopt its 1937 resolution restricting the singing of 'Vande Mataram' at Congress programmes to its first two stanzas.
The BJP said it considers 'Vande Mataram' India's National Song, an expression of reverence for Bharat Mata, a mantra of the freedom struggle and an enduring symbol of India's national consciousness.
In its resolution, the BJP said it would oppose the Congress decision and protect the honour, dignity and legacy of the full six-stanza version of 'Vande Mataram'. It also announced a nationwide awareness campaign, including a special drive among the youth.
The Congress Working Committee had earlier decided that only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' would be sung at party events, citing its 1937 resolution.
Congress MP KC Venugopal had said the party's position was clear and that it would follow the decisions taken by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1937.