SRINAGAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday staged a protest outside the Congress office in Srinagar over the alleged disrespect towards the national song Vande Mataram during the Congress’ Independence Day programme in New Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur accused senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge of showing disrespect towards the national song during the celebrations at the AICC headquarters.
“As the Congress was preparing to hoist the Tricolour on Independence Day, the National Song was played, yet Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge showed disrespect towards it,” Thakur alleged.
He said the BJP was holding protests across the country and demanding an apology from the Congress leadership over what the party described as an insult to Vande Mataram.
“The BJP is protesting across the country today, demanding that they apologise for this insult,” Thakur said, accusing the Congress of repeatedly disrespecting the national song.
Thakur also alleged that the Congress had historically removed certain portions of Vande Mataram under political pressure and claimed that the latest episode reflected the same mindset.
The controversy erupted after visuals from the Congress’ Independence Day programme at its headquarters in New Delhi showed senior party leaders speaking and making gestures while the national song was being rendered.
BJP leaders have alleged that the gestures indicated an attempt to stop the rendition midway. The Congress has rejected the charge and maintained that the song was completed without interruption.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders in Karnataka lodged a formal complaint against Sonia Gandhi at Urwa Police Station on Sunday in connection with the controversy.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also targeted the Congress leadership, alleging that the conduct of Sonia Gandhi, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi during the programme demonstrated discomfort with the full rendition of Vande Mataram.
“Yesterday, the Congress revealed its true face to the country and the world,” Tiwari alleged, adding that explanations were offered only after footage of the event circulated publicly.
The Congress, however, rejected the BJP’s allegations and accused the ruling party of politicising the national song and the freedom struggle.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said his party respected Vande Mataram and described what happened at the AICC headquarters as a “communication issue”.
“For the BJP, everything is political. For us, it is emotional. What happened at the AICC headquarters was a communication issue. We are people who respect Vande Mataram,” Venugopal told reporters.
He said the Congress had a clear position on the national song and accused the BJP of attempting to turn the controversy into a political issue.
The row has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with BJP leaders demanding an apology while the Congress maintains there was no intentional disrespect towards Vande Mataram.
