Sibal asks Shah if Modi as CM, Vajpayee as PM sang full version of Vande Mataram
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has challenged Home Minister Amit Shah's criticism of the Congress party's decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram. Sibal questioned whether prominent BJP leaders, including Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had historically adhered to the full rendition of the song.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights the ongoing political polarization in India regarding national symbols and the use of nationalist rhetoric to frame political opposition.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday (August 21, 2026) hit back at Home Minister Amit Shah for his “anti-national” barb at the Congress over its decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, asking whether Narendra Modi as the Gujarat Chief Minister or Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister sang its full version.
Mr. Sibal questioned if the BJP leaders who did not sing the full version of Vande Mataram were also “anti-national”.
“Amit Shah on: CWC decision on two-stanza Vande Mataram. Calls it ‘anti-national'. My question: Did the BJP, in private or official functions sing all stanzas since 1950? Modiji as Gujarat CM? PM Vajpayee?" the Independent MP asked in a post on X.
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