Congress Chief Present, Vande Mataram Not Sung In Full At Goa Event Amid Row
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge sang the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at a Goa event following controversy over a video where Sonia Gandhi appeared to signal for the song to stop. The BJP has accused the Congress leadership of disrespecting the national song, while the Congress maintains the gesture was misinterpreted.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing political tension in India regarding national symbols and the BJP's efforts to frame the Congress as being out of touch with nationalist sentiments.
Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) onslaught against Sonia Gandhi for allegedly attempting to halt the singing of Vande Mataram midway during an Independence Day event, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge sang the national song in Goa on Monday - though only the first two stanzas.The recitation by Kharge and other leaders took place before the start of a Goa Congress convention.The incident could spark another round of attacks from the BJP, which has been attempting to corner Congress over a video in which Gandhi was allegedly seen signalling leaders to stop the recitation after two stanzas.The Congress denied the allegation, asserting that the full version of Vande Mataram had been sung at the event. The party maintained that Sonia Gandhi was merely asking for a chair for Kharge, who had been standing for a while.Vande Mataram was penned by pre-Independence poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
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