Vande Mataram row: Shivraj Singh Chouhan slams CWC resolution as insult to Bharat Mata
Synopsis
The BJP has turned a Congress Working Committee resolution — reaffirming an 86-year-old tradition of singing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram — into a full-scale patriotism offensive. With the Centre having already mandated the complete national song in official protocol, the gap between government policy and Congress practice has handed the BJP a potent political weapon ahead of elections.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 20 August called the CWC resolution on 'Vande Mataram' an 'insult to Bharat Mata.' The CWC resolution reaffirms a 1937 party tradition of reciting only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' at Congress events.
The Centre has mandated the complete rendition of 'Vande Mataram' as official protocol, on par with the National Anthem .
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged the 1937 decision was made under pressure from the Muslim League .
BJP President Nitin Nabin labelled Congress the 'new Muslim League' over the issue.
Chouhan invoked the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 , questioning if Congress is above Parliament.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday, 20 August declared that the Congress Working Committee's (CWC) resolution to limit the singing of 'Vande Mataram' to only its first two stanzas at party events is an 'insult to Bharat Mata.' Chouhan made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Patna, escalating the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) offensive against the Congress over the contentious decision.
The CWC Resolution at the Centre of the Row
The CWC resolution in question reaffirms a tradition dating back to a 1937 party decision, under which only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' are recited at Congress events. The decision has drawn fresh scrutiny because the Centre has since mandated the complete rendition of the national song as part of official protocol, placing it on par with the National Anthem. Critics within the ruling establishment argue the Congress position now stands in direct conflict with that protocol.
What Chouhan Said
Speaking in Patna, Chouhan invoked the sacrifices of India's freedom fighters. 'Vande Mataram was chanted by thousands of revolutionaries who happily embraced the gallows and sacrificed their lives for the country. Vande Mataram is the pride of India,' he said.
'Not singing the complete Vande Mataram is not just an insult to the national song but an insult to Bharat Mata,' he added. Chouhan further alleged that the Congress's position traces back to pressure from the Muslim League in 1937, reiterating a charge earlier made by BJP Member of Parliament Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prasad had, during a press conference on Tuesday, alleged: 'The Congress had made a pact with the Muslim League in 1936-37 and maybe because of this, the Muslim League pressurised (the Congress) to sing only the first two stanzas of the song as the rest of it will hurt its religious sentiments.'
Broader BJP Offensive
Chouhan also invoked the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, questioning whether the Congress considers itself above the Constitution and Parliament. He claimed the Congress remains 'engaged in vote bank politics' and is not attached to the country's 'culture, tradition, moral values and roots.'
Separately, BJP President Nitin Nabin also condemned the CWC decision, accusing the Congress of converting what he called an 'insult' to the national song into an official party position and labelling the party the 'new Muslim League.'
What Comes Next
The controversy is likely to intensify ahead of upcoming state elections, with the BJP framing the issue as one of patriotism and cultural identity. The Congress has not yet issued a formal rebuttal to the specific charges made by Chouhan and Prasad. How the opposition responds — and whether the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 is invoked — will determine the political and legal trajectory of this dispute.
Point of View
Not a spontaneous reaction. The 1937 CWC decision has been public knowledge for nearly nine decades — its sudden salience reflects the party's need to keep cultural identity at the centre of political discourse. What is new is the legal dimension: with the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 now on the books, the BJP is implicitly threatening a statutory angle, raising the stakes well beyond rhetoric. The Congress's silence on specifics is conspicuous, and its failure to offer a substantive counter-narrative risks ceding the patriotism frame entirely to its rival.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CWC resolution on Vande Mataram that triggered the controversy?
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) passed a resolution reaffirming its 1937 tradition of singing only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' at party events. This has drawn sharp criticism from BJP leaders who argue it conflicts with the Centre's mandate requiring the complete national song to be sung at official functions.
Why did the BJP call the CWC decision an insult to Bharat Mata?
BJP leaders, including Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP President Nitin Nabin, argue that refusing to sing the complete 'Vande Mataram' dishonours the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives while chanting the song. They also allege the 1937 decision was made under Muslim League pressure, framing it as a politically motivated compromise.
What is the historical background of the 1937 Congress decision on Vande Mataram?
In 1937, the Congress Working Committee decided to limit the recitation of 'Vande Mataram' to its first two stanzas at party events. BJP leaders allege this was done under pressure from the Muslim League, which reportedly objected to later stanzas on religious grounds. The Congress has maintained this as a party tradition since then.
What is the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026?
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 is a law referenced by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the context of the Vande Mataram row. He invoked it to question whether the Congress's position on the national song places the party above the Constitution and Parliament, suggesting potential legal implications.
Who else from the BJP has criticised the CWC's Vande Mataram resolution?
Apart from Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and BJP President Nitin Nabin have also publicly condemned the CWC resolution. Nabin called Congress the 'new Muslim League,' while Prasad alleged the original 1937 decision stemmed from a Congress-Muslim League pact.
