BJP demands Congress apology over Vande Mataram 'disrespect' on Independence Day
Synopsis
A video from Congress headquarters showing Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi talking during Vande Mataram on Independence Day has triggered a sharp BJP attack demanding a public apology. Congress says Sonia Gandhi was simply asking for a chair for the standing Kharge — but the BJP isn't buying it, and the row has landed squarely in the middle of India's most patriotically charged day.
Key Takeaways
A video from the Congress headquarters at Indira Bhawan showed Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi conversing during the Vande Mataram rendition on 15 August 2025 .
The BJP condemned the incident as 'utter disrespect' toward the national song and demanded a formal apology from the Congress leadership.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi noted this was the first Independence Day on which Vande Mataram was sung in its full, uncut form.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi 'tried to stop' the rendition — a claim the Congress denied.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh clarified that Sonia Gandhi was asking a party worker to bring a chair for Kharge, who had been standing for a long time.
The Congress had not issued a formal apology as of this report.
A political row erupted on 15 August 2025 after a video from the Indian National Congress (Congress) headquarters at Indira Bhawan, New Delhi, showed party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Sonia Gandhi conversing with each other while Vande Mataram was being performed during the party's 80th Independence Day celebrations. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly condemned the incident, demanding a public apology from the Congress leadership. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh moved to clarify that no attempt was made to disrupt the national song's rendition.
What the Video Shows
In the footage from Indira Bhawan, both Kharge and Sonia Gandhi are seen gesturing and speaking to each other while Vande Mataram plays. The two senior leaders are also seen summoning a party worker and apparently giving him instructions during the rendition. The video circulated rapidly, drawing sharp reactions from the ruling party.
What the BJP Said
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, addressing reporters, called the incident an 'ugly moment' and framed it in a broader historical context. He noted that this year marks the first time Vande Mataram has been sung in its full, uncut, and uninterrupted form on Independence Day — a significant occasion, he argued, given that the song was performed at the very first sitting of the Constituent Assembly on the intervening night of 14–15 August 1947, before a national anthem had been formally adopted.
'At this time we have seen a very ugly moment when at the head office of the Congress, it was seen that their supreme leader Sonia Gandhi, their super President Rahul Gandhi and sitting President Mallikarjun Kharge ji were not attentive while the national song was being sung and rather they were casually talking to each other, passing remarks and even calling someone. This shows the utter disrespect by Congress party towards the national song Vande Mataram,' Trivedi said.
He added that if the Congress fails to issue an apology, 'it will reflect their true faith and allegiance to the Constitution, their dedication to the nation.' BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari went further, alleging that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had 'tried to stop' the rendition — a claim the Congress denied — and referred to the party as a 'Dimagi Naxal Congress.'
Congress Responds
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh offered an explanation, stating that there was 'no attempt to stop' the national song. According to Ramesh, Kharge had been standing for an extended period and Sonia Gandhi was asking a party worker to bring a chair for him. 'Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, 'There was no attempt to stop it because the Congress President had been standing for a long time', and Sonia Gandhi was saying, 'Bring a chair for him and place it there',' Ramesh said.
The Broader Political Context
The dispute arrives on a symbolically charged day, with both parties keen to project patriotic credentials. Notably, the BJP's charge that Congress has 'not yet accepted the full version of Vande Mataram' taps into a long-running cultural debate over the song's status and its contested history within the independence movement. Critics argue that the BJP's framing conflates a logistical moment with ideological intent, while BJP leaders maintain that the conduct of top leaders during the national song reflects the party's deeper values. The Congress has not, as of this report, issued a formal apology.
Point of View
If accurate, is entirely mundane: a senior leader needed a chair. The problem for Congress is that optics on Independence Day carry outsized political weight, and a swift, clear clarification at the event itself could have pre-empted the controversy. The BJP's invocation of Vande Mataram's Constituent Assembly history is historically grounded but strategically deployed — the charge that Congress has 'not accepted the full version' of the song is an old line of attack dressed in new footage. What this episode really exposes is how intensely both parties are competing over the symbolism of patriotism, where even a logistical gesture can become a national controversy within hours.
NationPress
15 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Vande Mataram controversy involving Congress on Independence Day?
A video from the Congress headquarters at Indira Bhawan showed party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Sonia Gandhi conversing during the Vande Mataram rendition at the party's 80th Independence Day celebrations on 15 August 2025. The BJP seized on the footage to allege disrespect toward the national song and demanded a public apology from the Congress leadership.
What did the BJP say about the incident?
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi called it an 'ugly moment' and accused the Congress top leadership of showing 'utter disrespect' to Vande Mataram. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari went further, alleging that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had tried to stop the rendition — a claim Congress denied. The BJP demanded a formal apology and said failure to do so would reflect on the party's 'true faith and allegiance to the Constitution.'
How did Congress respond to the BJP's allegations?
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh clarified that there was 'no attempt to stop' the national song. He said Sonia Gandhi was asking a party worker to bring a chair for Kharge, who had been standing for a long time. The Congress has not issued a formal apology.
Why did the BJP say this Independence Day's Vande Mataram was historically significant?
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that this was the first Independence Day on which Vande Mataram was sung in its full, uncut, and uninterrupted form. He also noted that Vande Mataram was performed at the very first sitting of the Constituent Assembly on the intervening night of 14–15 August 1947, before India's national anthem was formally adopted.
Who is Sudhanshu Trivedi and why is he significant in this controversy?
Sudhanshu Trivedi is a BJP member of Parliament and a prominent party spokesperson. He led the BJP's public attack on Congress over the Vande Mataram incident, addressing reporters and framing the controversy in historical and constitutional terms.
