Mallikarjun Kharge defends rendition of Vande Mataram

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has challenged the Narendra Modi government to file legal cases against him and historical leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel if singing a specific version of ‘Vande Mataram’ constitutes an offense under amended national honor laws.

The controversy arose after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Kharge of singing an “incomplete” version of the national song during a public meeting in South Goa. Kharge defended his actions by stating he was following a tradition established by a 1937 Congress Working Committee resolution, which limited the rendition to the first two stanzas to avoid religious controversy associated with later verses.

Kharge argued that the practice has been maintained for decades and noted that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also sang the same version. He criticized the BJP for being unaware of the historical decisions regarding the national song and anthem.