Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal responded to Home Minister Amit Shah’s criticism of the Congress for singing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, calling it “anti-national.” Sibal questioned whether BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister, ever sang the full version of the national song.
In a post on X, Sibal asked, “Did the BJP sing all stanzas since 1950 in private or official functions? Did Modiji as Gujarat CM or PM Vajpayee sing the full version?” He accused Shah and other BJP leaders of using anti-national rhetoric for political gain, saying their actions exposed their vote-bank politics.
The debate intensified after Shah attacked the Congress on Thursday for not singing the full song, calling it defiant and against the law. The Congress defended its decision, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh stating that the 1937 resolution recommending only two stanzas be sung was supported by freedom movement leaders.
The row began after the Congress Working Committee decided on Wednesday to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, instead of the full version.