Vande Mataram row: BJP chief Nabin slams Congress, calls it new Muslim League

NEW DELHI: With Congress Working Committee (CWC) sticking to its 1937 resolution that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung, BJP national president Nitin Nabin Thursday said, "Congress has now institutionalised the insult to Vande Matram."Nabin said Congress, which had recently tried to pass off its disrespect for the national song as just a coincidence, in its pursuit of vote bank politics has adopted "a formal resolution not to sing the national song in full".BJP said Congress is showing the same stubbornness against the full version of the national song that the Muslim League had then summoned, forcing its leadership to capitulate and make a series of concessions to M A Jinnah."Congress has removed any doubt over it being the Muslim League of today. There is no doubt that their commitment to the country is suspect," BJP said, as it lit into the party for preferring its resolution adopted during British rule to a law passed by Parliament making any insult to national song a penal offence."They have shown the contempt for thousands of those martyrs who, inspired by Vande Matram, sacrificed their lives for country 's freedom," Nabin added.BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi said Congress had then made a series of concessions to Muslim League, including an assurance to Jinnah from Nehru that cow slaughter will be permitted and Muslim League's flag will share the space with the flag of Congress. "Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru mention the correspondence," he said.Trivedi said Congress had also agreed to a separate electorate for Muslims, which allowed the community its exclusive share of seats, firming up the Muslim League's political base among them."Congress has proven it considers itself above the country and its resolution above the powers of the Constitution that empower Parliament," he added.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.