Vande Mataram row: Shah takes 'sin' jibe at Sonia; Cong says 'diverting attention'
A political controversy has erupted in India after Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of disrespecting the national song, Vande Mataram. The Congress party has dismissed the accusation as a diversionary tactic to distract from government failures.
Why it matters
The exchange reflects the intense polarization and ongoing political friction between India's ruling party and the primary opposition.
NEW DELHI: Congress on Sunday stepped up its attack on Union home minister Amit Shah after he alleged that veteran leader Sonia Gandhi committed a sin by stopping national song Vande Mataram midway at the party headquarters on Independence Day.In a social media post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Shah was demanding an apology from Sonia Gandhi to divert attention from real issues and the government's massive failures.Without naming Shah, Jairam Ramesh said, "A man who insulted Dr. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on December 17, 2024. A man who comes from that ideology which, until January 2002, did not even deem it appropriate to hoist the tricolour at its headquarters.
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