‘New Muslim League’: Nitin Nabin hits out at Congress as Vande Mataram row intensifies, Opposition fires back

The BJP and Congress traded sharp barbs on Thursday over the Congress Working Committee’s decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events, with BJP national working president Nitin Nabin accusing the opposition party of “appeasement politics”.

Nabin attacked the Congress a day after the CWC resolved to follow its 1937 decision under which only the first two stanzas of the national song would be recited at Congress programmes.

“The Congress has now formalised its insult into a resolution. Its working committee has decided that only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ will be sung at Congress forums,” Nabin wrote on X.

He alleged that the decision reflected the Congress’ “hunger for that vote bank before which it has repeatedly pawned the nation’s self-respect” and claimed that the party had become the “new Muslim League of today”.

Nabin also linked the controversy to the Congress’ Independence Day celebrations on August 15, when the BJP accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi of speaking to each other while Vande Mataram was being performed. The Congress had dismissed the incident as a coincidence.

Kirti Azad challenges Nitin Nabin

Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad hit back at Nabin and challenged him to recite the complete version of Vande Mataram.

“Nitin Nabin should come in front of me. I don’t know the entire song, but I will look on paper. And I want him to recite the entire ‘Vande Mataram’, from beginning to end, whatever the complete version is. I am ready now,” Azad said.

Sanjay Raut attacks BJP

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also criticised the BJP over the controversy and challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to publicly sing the entire song.

“BJP does not know the Constitution of the country, nor do they know Vande Mataram. Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Modi should come forward and sing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram in public, without a teleprompter,” Raut said.

Raut argued that the Congress’ 1937 decision was taken on the advice of Rabindranath Tagore and accused the BJP of attempting to create a Hindu-Muslim divide.

Congress cites 1937 resolution

The Congress has defended its decision by referring to the resolution adopted by its Working Committee in 1937.

Congress MP KC Venugopal said the party had followed the same practice for decades and would continue to adhere to the decisions taken by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the time.

“We have been reciting Vande Mataram since 1937, more than 90 years. What is new for us? BJP was not a part of the freedom struggle. Vande Mataram was a part of the freedom struggle; it is emotional for us, but political for them (BJP),” Venugopal said.

He accused the BJP of using the controversy to divert attention from what he described as more pressing issues, including paper leaks, alleged donation irregularities and Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh.

Amit Shah calls decision ‘anti-national’

Union home minister Amit Shah also attacked the Congress over the CWC resolution, calling it “anti-national” and accusing the party of pursuing appeasement politics.

“Yesterday, Congress Working Committee took an anti-national decision. Following their 1937 resolution, Congress decided to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram,” Shah said at an event in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.

Shah alleged that the Congress had divided Vande Mataram in 1937 to appease Muslims and claimed that the decision contributed to the circumstances that eventually led to Partition.

He accused the Congress of insulting Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s composition as well as the freedom fighters who drew inspiration from it.

“Congress’s decision confirms its policy of appeasement. They have not only insulted this creation of Bankim Babu but also lakhs of people who laid down their lives for the freedom of the country,” Shah said.

The controversy has once again brought Vande Mataram and its historical use by the Congress to the centre of a political confrontation between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.