Indian Congress leaders face political friction and tradition debates

Political tensions are rising in India involving the Indian National Congress. Rohit Pawar, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to disrupt the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ dialogue program in Pune. The event, which features Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, follows a clash between ABVP and NSUI members at a university hostel. Pawar alleged that while NSUI activists face police cases, those responsible for intimidating female students remain free.

Separately, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor addressed the party’s long-standing tradition regarding the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’. Tharoor clarified that the party continues to follow a practice established in 1937, which involves singing only the first two verses of the song and one stanza of the national anthem during party functions. He noted that the party maintains this historical stance during its own events, while standing for the full versions during national or government ceremonies.