Congress, BJP Engage in Heated Debate Over Vande Mataram

The political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP over Vande Mataram has intensified. Congress MP Imran Masood, in a conversation with Aaj Tak, hit back at the BJP's allegations of what the BJP wants from the Muslims of this country. He questioned whether Muslims do not have the right to speak and act according to religious beliefs. Imran Masood defended the Congress's decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, saying it was taken in 1937 after consulting Guru Rabindranath Tagore and Subhash Chandra Bose. He said that you do not agree with Nehru-Tagore but what about Sardar Patel's decision? Two stanzas of Vande Mataram were made into a national song. Imran Masood also hit back at the BJP's allegations of the Congress allying with the Muslim League and promoting the two-nation theory. He said that the BJP has been the Muslim League's biggest supporter and brought the Muslim League to power. He also accused the BJP of strengthening the two-nation theory when it was passed in Parliament.