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

The Congress party on Monday issued a sharp rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on Vande Mataram, made earlier in the Lok Sabha while marking the 150th year of the national song.

Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi said the BJP cannot diminish Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy ‘despite its all-out effort’.

Gogoi argued that the first Prime Minister played a significant role in strengthening the cultural and emotional power of Vande Mataram during the freedom movement.

Gogoi highlighted that during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting of 1937, the party had resolved to promote mass awareness of Vande Mataram across the country.

The meeting, he said, was attended by leading intellectuals, including Rabindranath Tagore.

According to Gogoi, Tagore emphasised that the first two stanzas captured the essence of the song. He added that Nehru himself stressed during the meeting that the party must widely publicise Vande Mataram and use it to uphold the spirit of the freedom struggle.

“The words Vande Mataram became a slogan of strength that inspired our people and a greeting that reminded us of our shared struggle,” Gogoi stated.

The Congress MP urged that the historical context of Vande Mataram be studied with diligence. He noted that the song, written in West Bengal, spread across the country within a year and uplifted the morale of freedom fighters.

Gogoi also responded to PM Modi’s reference to the gramophone’s role in popularising the song. He said pamphlets were equally influential in circulating Vande Mataram among both activists and ordinary citizens.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi criticised the Congress for allegedly compromising on Vande Mataram in 1937. He said the party did so under pressure from the Muslim League.

Gogoi Questions Treatment of the National Song

MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned why anyone treated the national song unjustly. He also recalled that Nehru wrote to Subhas Chandra Bose, warning that the song’s background could provoke Muslim sentiment.

PM Modi said the Congress restricted the song to its first two stanzas under the guise of secularism. He argued that this appeasement subsequently contributed to the political climate that enabled Partition.

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