A political controversy broke out on 15 August 2026 after video footage from the Indian National Congress party's 80th Independence Day celebrations at its headquarters, Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, showed senior leaders apparently conversing among themselves while Vande Mataram was being sung. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly demanded an apology, while the Congress rejected the charge as politically motivated.

The Video and What It Shows

BJP parliamentarian Nishikant Dubey shared a video on X, stating: 'Here is an excerpt of the conversation that took place between Sonia Gandhi ji and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi ji regarding the insult to the national song Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters today. Let the country decide; it is appropriate for me to keep my mouth shut.'

The footage, whose audio-visuals have not been independently verified, shows Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Sonia Gandhi gesturing and speaking to each other as Vande Mataram was being sung. Both leaders then reportedly called a party member and appeared to give instructions. English subtitles in the video attribute remarks to Rahul Gandhi, including: 'We need not sing. We need not sing Vande Mataram. It's our version of Vande Mataram,' and, at the end, 'Hum yahan pe apna gana ga rahe hain (We are singing our own song here).'

What the BJP Said

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, addressing reporters, described the episode as 'a very ugly moment.' He noted that this was reportedly the first Independence Day on which Vande Mataram was sung in its full, uncut and uninterrupted form, and recalled that the Constituent Assembly had opened its proceedings on the intervening night of 14–15 August 1947 with a rendition of the national song — before the national anthem had even been adopted.

Trivedi said: 'At the head office of the Congress, it was seen that their supreme leader Sonia Gandhi, their super President LoP 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 the Congress party towards the national song Vande Mataram.'

Congress Rejects the Charge

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh categorically denied any wrongdoing, stating there was 'no attempt' to stop or interrupt the rendition of Vande Mataram. The party maintained that the leaders' interaction did not amount to deliberate disrespect and characterised the BJP's response as politically motivated point-scoring on a national occasion.

The Broader Political Context

The episode has sharpened an already charged political atmosphere on Independence Day. The BJP has sought to frame the visuals as evidence of the Congress's alleged indifference towards national symbols — a line of attack it has deployed before. The Congress, for its part, has pushed back, arguing that selective video clips cannot establish intent. Notably, the full context of the conversation between the leaders remains unverified and is a matter of ongoing public debate. This is not the first time that conduct at official party events has become a flashpoint between the two parties on national occasions.

The controversy is likely to fuel further exchanges in the days ahead, particularly as Parliament's monsoon session approaches.