New Delhi [India], November 7 : Amid the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the National Song 'Vande Mataram', a war of words broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the removal of "significant verses" from the national song 'Vande Mataram' in 1937 led to India's partition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long commemoration of the National Song "Vande Mataram" at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Addressing the event commemorating 150 years of the National Song 'Vande Mataram', Prime Minister Modi further stated that "the same divisive mindset" continues to pose a significant challenge to the nation even today.
"In 1937, significant verses of 'Vande Mataram', the very essence of its spirit, were removed. Stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' were broken up. This removal sowed the seeds for the eventual partition of the country. Today's generation needs to understand why such injustice was committed against this great mantra of nation-building. Because that same divisive mindset continues to pose a major challenge for the nation even today," the Prime Minister said.
He emphasised that Vande Mataram has achieved "immortality" and remains relevant today. He highlighted the song's role in India's freedom struggle, noting that it was a rallying cry for revolutionaries and a symbol of national pride.
"We have to make this century India's century. This capability exists in India, and it exists in 140 crore Indians. And for this, we will have to believe in ourselves," he added.
The Prime Minister also underscored India's unique perspective on the nation as a mother figure, citing the country's Vedic traditions. He emphasised the importance of recognising the nation as a nurturing and protective force and praised the role of women in nation-building.
This comes after BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan accused the Congress party of deliberately altering the national song Vande Mataram, claiming that stanzas praising Goddess Durga were removed in 1937 under Jawaharlal Nehru's leadership.
Kesavan alleged that this decision was made to appease certain communal groups, sparking debate about the song's original form and intent.
In a post on X, Kesavan claimed that only the first two stanzas were accepted by the Congress, omitting later verses that invoke Goddess Maa Durga, due to alleged communal considerations.
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday put the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on blast for celebrating the 150 years of the song while "avoiding" it in its offices, shakas, their own texts or literature, despite the song being a popular cry for the Indian freedom struggle.
According to Kharge, the RSS prefers to sing "Namaste Sada Vatasale", a musical prayer rather than India's national song. Comparing it to Congress party's traditions, he mentioned that since 1986 till today, every meeting of Congress, whether a plenary session, or a Block Level meeting, leaders have sung the Vande Mataram.
"It is deeply ironic that those who today claim to be the self-proclaimed guardians of nationalism - the RSS and the BJP, have never sung Vande Mataram or our National Anthem Jana Gana Mana in their shakhas or offices. Instead, they continue to sing Namaste Sada Vatsale, a song glorifying their organisations, not the nation. Since its founding in 1925, the RSS has avoided Vande Mataram, despite its universal reverence. Not once in its texts or literature does the song find mention," Kharge said in an official statement released on the 150 year anniversary of the song.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that Congress recognised "Vande Mataram" as the national song for the first time in the presence of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore and other leaders and alleged that today the BJP and RSS are playing "divisive politics" and propagating it for their "agenda".
"In the presence of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian National Congress recognised 'Vande Mataram' as the national song for the first time, and the Congress is proud of both 'Jan Gan Man' and 'Vande Bharat'... Today, the BJP and RSS are propagating it for their agenda, playing divisive politics, but people now understand their intentions," Gehlot said on the occasion of the 150 years of the national song.
This year, November 7 marked the 150th anniversary of India's National Song Vande Mataram, which translates to "Mother, I Bow to Thee". This composition, an enduring anthem, has inspired countless generations of freedom fighters and nation builders, standing as a lasting emblem of India's national identity and collective spirit.
Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, 'Vande Mataram' was first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875. Later, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee incorporated the hymn in his immortal novel 'Anandamath' which was published in 1882. It was set to music by Rabindranath Tagore. It has become an integral part of the nation's civilizational, political and cultural consciousness. Commemorating this milestone presents an occasion to reaffirm the timeless message of unity, sacrifice, and devotion that Vande Mataram embodies for all Indians.