Guwahati: Today, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed a resolution highlighting the honour and historic legacy of ‘Vande Mataram’ and announced plans to launch a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the National Song’s history and significance.
The BJP strongly condemned the Congress Working Committee’s 19th August decision to re-adopt its 1937 resolution, which limits the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ to its first two stanzas at Congress programmes.
In its resolution, the BJP described ‘Vande Mataram’ as an expression of reverence for Bharat Mata, a mantra of the freedom struggle and a symbol of India’s national consciousness. The party said it would oppose any attempt to restrict the National Song due to communal pressure, appeasement or vote-bank politics.
The BJP also said it would highlight the historical circumstances behind the restrictions, including objections raised by the Muslim League and the politics of communal and separatist demands. It plans to take Mahatma Gandhi’s description of ‘Vande Mataram’ as an “anti-imperialist slogan” to the public.
The move comes amid a political controversy after the BJP accused Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi of talking while the National Song was being rendered during Independence Day celebrations on 15th August.