Akhilesh Yadav Accuses BJP Of ‘Owning Everything’ Amid Heated Vande Mataram Debate In Lok Sabha

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party during the special Lok Sabha session commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram.

He accused the ruling party of attempting to ‘own everything’. He also said the BJP was promoting a form of ‘exclusive nationalism’, which he described as ‘Rashtra-vivadi (anti-national)’.

Akhilesh Yadav said the national song belongs to every Indian and urged people not to turn it into a tool of political rivalry.

Recalling the song’s historic role, Yadav highlighted how Congress leaders and Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram in Kolkata, helping it reach ordinary citizens. He said the slogan inspired unity during the struggle against British rule.

He added that the British administration grew fearful of the slogan and imprisoned people under anti-national charges. Between 1905 and 1908, the British banned Vande Mataram, yet it continued to energise revolutionaries and strengthen the independence movement.

Targeting the BJP further, Yadav alleged that the party wants to claim ownership of ideas, symbols, and legacies it “did not originally have”.

He referred to earlier debates from the BJP’s formative years, when the party reportedly faced questions on whether it would follow a secular or socialist path.

According to him, leaders then attempted to project themselves in the legacy of Jayaprakash Narayan, despite not adhering to his principles.

Call to Look Beyond Symbolism

Yadav urged that Vande Mataram be understood through action rather than symbolism alone. Akhilesh claimed some individuals who now champion the national song are attempting to divide the nation.

Akhilesh Yadav contrasted this with the song’s unifying role during the independence struggle.

He argued that people who did not participate in the freedom movement cannot fully appreciate the value of Vande Mataram. He further claimed that the British-era ‘divide and rule’ approach is still being pursued by ‘some people’ today.

Continuing his attack, Yadav asserted that only a few leaders genuinely embraced the spirit of Vande Mataram, accusing some of acting as informers for the British. He insisted the song is not a tool for ‘fake politics’.

He also accused the BJP of appropriating icons, alleging that the party began using Dr BR Ambedkar’s image in election campaigns only after suffering electoral setbacks against the SP.

Also Read: Congress Counters PM Modi, Says Nehru Championed Public Outreach Of Vande Mataram