Vande Mataram row: Sajid Rashidi slams Gitanjali Angmo, BJP backs her stand
Synopsis
A defence of Vande Mataram by Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo has drawn a sharp rebuke from Imam Association chief Maulana Sajid Rashidi, who called her ghazal analogy ‘misinformation.’ The BJP has seized on Angmo’s remarks to renew pressure on Congress and the Muslim community over the national song — reigniting one of India’s most persistent identity debates.
Key Takeaways
Maulana Sajid Rashidi , president of the All India Imam Association, called Gitanjali Angmo’s remarks on Vande Mataram “unfortunate” and “objectionable.” Angmo , wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk , had described opposition to the national song as “a childish way of thinking.” Rashidi asserted that the Muslim community will not sing a song he considers an act of worship of Hindu deities, citing constitutional protection of religious freedom.
Singh backed Angmo and questioned Congress and the Muslim League’s stance on the song.
AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar argued the debate should end as rendition of the song has been mandated under law.
All India Imam Association President Maulana Sajid Rashidi on Thursday sharply criticised Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, over her remarks defending the full rendition of the national song Vande Mataram, calling her comments “unfortunate” and “objectionable.” The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, sided with Angmo, lending political weight to a debate that has resurfaced with fresh intensity in New Delhi.
What Gitanjali Angmo Said
In an interview, Angmo argued that opposition to Vande Mataram on the grounds of references to Hindu deities reflects “a childish way of thinking.” She drew a parallel with Urdu ghazals, contending that a Hindu singing one would not have their religion “corrupted,” and questioned why associating Sanskrit with a particular party or religion is acceptable discourse.
“The first two stanzas were initially chosen because the song was too long. It doesn’t mean that the remaining stanzas were not accepted. You cannot cut any work of art,” Angmo said, describing the song as a “very profound symbol.”
Rashidi’s Rebuttal
Maulana Sajid Rashidi rejected the ghazal analogy outright. “Ghazals contain romantic verses. It does not contain worship of anyone. So, comparing that with Vande Mataram is somewhere based on misinformation,” he said. “You are comparing romantic verses with the worship of deities.”
Rashidi asserted that the Muslim community cannot sing a song that, in his reading, worships Hindu goddesses. “Even if the President of the country says that Muslims should sing it, we will still not do so because it is against our faith. The Constitution of the country allows that if something is against your faith, whether you sing it or not is your own choice,” he said.
BJP Backs Angmo, Adds Its Own Framing
BJP spokesperson R. P. Singh backed Angmo’s position while urging a closer reading of the song’s context. “Maa Durga is mentioned in the context of courage, of fighting enemies,” Singh said, arguing that the invocation is martial rather than devotional in nature.
Singh also broadened the critique, saying: “What is the problem with singing Vande Mataram? This song brought freedom to the country. Today, Congress and the Muslim League are running away from that same song. This is not right.”
AAP Calls for Closure
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Priyanka Kakkar took a different line, arguing that the controversy should now be considered settled given that the song’s rendition has been mandated under law. Notably, the debate over whether singing Vande Mataram in full should be compulsory has recurred across Indian political discourse for decades, with the Supreme Court and various governments weighing in at different points.
With multiple parties and religious voices now staking out positions, the row is unlikely to fade quickly — and its trajectory will likely depend on whether the legal mandate Kakkar referenced is tested in court.
Point of View
And each recurrence follows a predictable script: a public figure defends full rendition, a cleric invokes constitutional religious freedom, and the BJP frames the opposition as anti-national. What is notable here is that the trigger is Gitanjali Angmo, whose credibility as a non-BJP voice makes her harder to dismiss. Rashidi’s constitutional argument is legally sound — the Supreme Court has not made singing Vande Mataram compulsory — but his rejection of the ghazal analogy on theological grounds sidesteps the broader civic question Angmo raised. The BJP’s intervention, meanwhile, is less about the song and more about keeping the identity fault-line active ahead of electoral cycles. The real question mainstream coverage misses: why has no government in seven decades produced a durable civic consensus on this?
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gitanjali Angmo say about Vande Mataram?
Gitanjali Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, said that opposition to Vande Mataram because of references to Hindu deities is ‘a childish way of thinking.’ She also argued that the full version of the national song should be sung, as the first two stanzas were chosen only because the complete song was too long.
Why did Maulana Sajid Rashidi criticise Angmo’s remarks?
Rashidi rejected Angmo’s comparison of Vande Mataram with Urdu ghazals, calling it ‘misinformation.’ He argued that ghazals contain romantic verses and do not involve worship, whereas Vande Mataram, in his view, involves the worship of Hindu deities, making it incompatible with Islamic faith.
What is the BJP’s position on the Vande Mataram controversy?
BJP spokesperson R. P. Singh backed Angmo’s stance, arguing that references to Maa Durga in the song are in the context of courage rather than religious worship. Singh also criticised Congress and the Muslim League for what he described as distancing themselves from the national song.
What does the Constitution say about singing Vande Mataram?
Rashidi cited constitutional provisions that protect individuals from being compelled to act against their faith, arguing that singing Vande Mataram cannot be made mandatory for Muslims. AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar, however, noted that its rendition has been mandated under a law, suggesting the legal position may have evolved.
Who is Gitanjali Angmo?
Gitanjali Angmo is the wife of well-known climate activist and Ladakh campaigner Sonam Wangchuk. Her remarks on Vande Mataram, made in an interview, sparked the current round of political and religious debate.
