Vande Mataram Debate in Parliament Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a discussion in the Lok Sabha today to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram. This debate is expected to add fuel to the growing political and ideological clash between the BJP and the Opposition. Vande Mataram was a powerful slogan during the freedom movement, but its cultural message is also a key part of the BJP’s political identity today.
Why is BJP and Opposition debating over Vande Matram?
The debate is part of a special Parliament session focused on the history and legacy of Vande Mataram. Tensions rose last month during an event marking the song’s 150th year, when PM Modi said the Congress had “removed important stanzas” from the original version of the song at its 1937 Faizabad meeting. He argued that this choice “planted the seeds of partition” and claimed the party had split the national song and weakened its message of unity. Modi linked this argument to his larger vision of a “Viksit Bharat,” saying that cultural heritage is essential for national progress.
The Congress strongly rejected these claims. Quoting The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (Vol. 66, p. 46), the party said the 1937 decision was not meant to divide people, but to be sensitive to concerns raised by some communities. The move had been recommended by a Working Committee that included major national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Subhas Chandra Bose among others. The committee noted that the first two stanzas were already the most commonly sung and widely accepted, while the remaining verses contained religious references that some citizens found uncomfortable. Congress also noted that Rabindranath Tagore had advised this approach, and he himself had sung Vande Mataram at the 1896 Congress session.
The Opposition then accused the Prime Minister of attacking the freedom movement’s legacy instead of addressing current problems like joblessness, inequality, and foreign policy issues. This exchange has set the stage for an even more intense debate in Parliament.
Parliament set for heated debate on Vande Mataram
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have set aside ten hours each for a detailed discussion on Vande Mataram. The debate in the Rajya Sabha is planned for Tuesday, with Home Minister Amit Shah set to lead the BJP’s arguments.
According to party insiders, the BJP plans to highlight several lesser-known aspects of the song’s history, aiming to put the Congress on the defensive over a piece of music deeply tied to India’s freedom struggle.
Vande Mataram debate in Parliament Live Updates:
Parliament Winter Session Live Updates: PM Modi to initiate debate on Vande Mataram
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be initiating a debate on Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha today. The Opposition is expected to chime in with the defence over the claims of "important missing stanzas" from the song. Stay with us as the debate unfolds in the Parliament today.