Congress Leader Criticizes Modi Government Over Vande Mataram, Accuses BJP of Polarisation

Accusing the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the BJP of indulging in "politics of polarisation", AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the Congress is following the Vande Mataram version that was decided by national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He questioned whether the national leaders who decided on the shorter version of Vande Mataram were also "anti-national". The Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha was reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying its decision to sing just two stanzas of Vande Mataram was "anti-national" and aimed at appeasing its vote bank in defiance of the law. "If you read the history, you would know. Pandit Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Chandra Bose and Vallabhbhai Patel all together decided to reduce it from six to two stanzas, stating that it is better for the country. In 1937, we still had not got freedom, all of them decided together, and all of us have been following it for 90 years now," Kharge said. Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, he questioned why the issue is being raised now when there was no issue for 90 years. "You (Modi) were CM of Gujarat; why didn't you sing? You have been the prime minister for 11-12 years now; why didn't you do anything on the issue until now? Your BJP governments are there in several states, and you have your CMs there; why didn't you do it there? Whenever you want, you bring new issues," he added.