The INDIA bloc on Saturday, 22 August launched a sharp counter-offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its resolution defending the national song Vande Mataram, accusing the ruling party of manufacturing a cultural controversy to deflect public attention from pressing economic concerns such as inflation and unemployment.

Background: How the row began

The dispute flared after senior Congress leaders drew criticism for their conduct during Vande Mataram's rendition at an Independence Day event. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) subsequently passed a resolution reaffirming its longstanding position of restricting the song's rendition at party programmes to only the first two stanzas — a practice it traces to a 1937 CWC resolution taken on the advice of Rabindranath Tagore, with the consent of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel. The BJP responded by passing its own resolution strongly defending the honour, dignity, and historical legacy of the national song.

Congress leaders push back

Congress leader Harish Rawat said the BJP was raising emotional issues to sidestep harder questions. 'The BJP is trying to make Vande Mataram an issue because the real issues are those raised by Gen Z. Gen Alpha is also raising issues of inflation and unemployment. To divert attention from these questions, some emotional issues are being raised,' he said, adding that the song is historically associated with the Congress.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor clarified the party's position: 'The Congress position on the national song is very clear, that is to follow the existing practice of singing two stanzas of Vande Mataram when it comes to Congress party functions.' He added that at national or government functions, 'we will all stand up for the entire thing. It depends on what is being played.'

Congress MP Tariq Anwar invoked the 1937 precedent, arguing that the BJP was departing from a tradition set by the founding generation of the freedom movement itself.

Allies amplify the charge

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi argued that the BJP's new leadership should be focused on economic challenges rather than stoking controversy. 'A new team that has come into place should be concerned about the economic challenges that the country is facing and should be showing its vision for how to take India forward,' she said. 'They are only doing it for political points... The BJP's resolution should have been about India first,' she added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant went further, alleging political intent behind the controversy: 'Those who have not sung Vande Mataram and those who did not participate in the freedom struggle have no right to raise questions... Today, you are raising this issue everywhere. Why? To create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. Nothing else. It is about creating hatred.'

Left weighs in on multi-party democracy

CPI National General Secretary D. Raja noted that a detailed discussion on the national song had already taken place in Parliament and accused the BJP of being 'rigid and adamant and not accepting the views of other parties.' He said: 'After all, we are a multi-party democracy. Every party has its own view, and it should be considered, but BJP thinks whatever it says should be accepted by all political parties.' Raja also asserted that parties like the Congress and CPI carry a long history of anti-colonial struggle, warning that 'BJP should not think that it has the monopoly to teach nationalism and patriotism to other parties.'

What comes next

The exchange signals that the Vande Mataram row is unlikely to fade quickly, with both sides now holding formal resolutions on record. The INDIA bloc appears intent on reframing the debate around economic governance ahead of upcoming state elections, while the BJP looks to keep the national-identity framing in play. How voters respond to these competing narratives will be closely watched in the months ahead.