Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore has said that India should limit the singing of the national song 'Vande Mataram' to its first two stanzas, arguing that the later verses reference multiple deities and may conflict with the religious convictions of monotheistic communities across the country. Her remarks came amid a renewed national debate over the song's rendition that has drawn in political parties, public figures, and religious groups.

What Sharmila Tagore Said

'My point of view is that there are many religious people who believe in one single God, not many Gods. In Vande Mataram, there is a stanza which says that many Gods are mentioned,' she said. She added, 'It is difficult for those who believe in one religion to say, Vande Kali, Vande Durga. Therefore, if we take all the religious people in India together, the first two stanzas are very good.'

Tagore's remarks reflect a position long held by several religious communities — particularly Muslims and Christians — who have historically expressed discomfort with the full rendition of the song on grounds of monotheistic faith.

The Political Row Behind the Debate

The controversy intensified following India's 80th Independence Day celebrations on 15 August 2025, when the full rendition of Vande Mataram was performed at the Red Fort — reportedly a first in Independence Day history. The development reignited a long-standing dispute between the country's two principal national parties.

The Indian National Congress (INC) reaffirmed its practice of singing only the first two stanzas at party events, a position it has maintained since 1937. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge defended the stance, noting that the same version had been sung by national leaders throughout the independence movement.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, accused the Congress of disrespecting the national song, framing the party's selective rendition as a political concession to minority vote banks. The exchange underscored how Vande Mataram — composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and first sung at the 1896 Indian National Congress session — continues to sit at the intersection of identity, religion, and electoral politics more than a century later.

Actor Mukesh Khanna's Separate Claim

Adding a more provocative dimension to the debate, actor Mukesh Khanna called for Vande Mataram to replace the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', claiming the latter was composed by Rabindranath Tagore as a tribute to the British Crown. 'Jana Gana Mana is not the national anthem of our country. It is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Rabindranath Tagore wrote a song in praise of her,' he said.

Historians and constitutional scholars have consistently disputed this claim, noting that Jana Gana Mana was adopted as India's national anthem by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950. Khanna also said he had recorded a seven-minute version of Vande Mataram, calling it a work he hopes will become iconic.

Historical and Constitutional Context

The Supreme Court of India has previously held that no citizen can be compelled to sing Vande Mataram, and the song carries the status of national song — distinct from the national anthem. The 1937 Congress resolution that limited the party's rendition to the first two stanzas was itself a compromise brokered to accommodate the concerns of Muslim members of the independence movement, including those led by the All India Muslim League.

This is not the first time the debate has flared. Similar rows erupted in 2016 and 2022, each time triggered by political events or public statements. The current iteration, however, is notable for the full Red Fort rendition — which lends the controversy fresh institutional weight.