JAIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress of insulting the national song Vande Mataram and demanded that the party apologise to the people of the country and to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote the song.
Addressing a public meeting in Chittorgarh, Shah alleged that during the Independence Day programme at the Congress headquarters, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had asked for Vande Mataram to be stopped midway.
He accused the Congress of having “forgotten” Vande Mataram due to vote-bank politics.
Referring to the Independence Day celebrations held on Saturday, Shah said that after 80 years of Independence, Vande Mataram was sung at the Red Fort and at other places where flag-hoisting ceremonies were held.
“Thousands of people faced bullets and lathis and were jailed for singing Vande Mataram,” Shah said, recalling the song’s role during the freedom struggle.
Reiterating his allegation against the Congress leadership, Shah said the incident at the party headquarters had been seen on television and demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi.
“If there is any shame left, you should fold your hands and apologise to Bankim Babu’s immortal spirit and the people,” he said.
Shah was addressing the ‘Atal Gaurav Smriti Samaroh’, organised on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Paying tribute to Vajpayee, Shah highlighted several decisions taken during his tenure as Prime Minister, including the Pokhran nuclear tests despite international pressure.
He said the Vajpayee government gave major impetus to infrastructure development by connecting villages through roads, expanding national highways and launching several development initiatives.
Shah also credited Vajpayee with establishing a separate ministry for tribal development and said the country’s progress in tribal welfare was reflected in the election of Droupadi Murmu as President of India.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had continued to accord priority to the welfare and development of tribal communities.
Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said the country’s borders were becoming safer under Shah’s leadership and that Rajasthan was also benefiting from the Centre’s policies.
Sharma said the state was progressing under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi and credited Shah with playing a significant role in tackling Left-wing extremism and implementing the country’s new criminal laws.
