Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of removing key stanzas from Vande Mataram in 1937, sowing seeds of division. Speaking at a Delhi event marking the song's 150th anniversary, Modi highlighted its historical significance. The Congress hit back, defending its legacy with the national song.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in 1875, publishing it as part of his novel Anandamath in 1882. The song became a rallying cry during India's freedom struggle, illuminating the nation with patriotic fervor.
On November 7, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a year-long nationwide commemoration of the song's 150th anniversary at an event in Delhi, organized by the Ministry of Culture. The program, running from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026, included the release of a special commemorative coin and postage stamp. Attendees included Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
In his address, Modi criticized the Congress for adopting only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram in October 1937. 'Unfortunately, in 1937, important stanzas of Vande Mataram, a part of its soul, were severed. Vande Mataram was broken, it was torn into pieces. This division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of division of the country… that same divisive mindset remains a challenge for the country even today,' Modi said.
He linked the song to India's historical prosperity, noting that centuries ago, India contributed nearly one-fourth of global GDP, and how colonial policies had diminished it. Modi praised the song's first line for countering British propaganda of Indian inferiority and referenced recent national strength, including in science, technology, and as the world's fifth-largest economy.
The BJP echoed Modi's sentiments, with spokesperson C R Kesavan accusing the Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru of pandering to a communal agenda by removing stanzas hailing Goddess Durga on religious grounds.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge countered, stating, 'The Indian National Congress has been the proud flagbearer of Vande Mataram.' He noted its first public singing by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Congress session in Calcutta under president Rahmatullah Sayani. Kharge called it ironic that the RSS and BJP, who claim nationalism, do not sing Vande Mataram or Jana Gana Mana in their shakhas.
The exchange underscores ongoing political tensions over India's nationalist symbols.