Congress has again capitulated to Muslim League on Vande Mataram: BJP

The party's allegation came after Shashi Tharoor questioned the need to play all five verses of Vande Mataram at the beginning and end of official functions.

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday hit out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor over his remarks on Vande Mataram, alleging that the party has once again "capitulated" to the Muslim League, an ally of the ruling coalition in Kerala.

The party's allegation came after Tharoor questioned the need to play all five verses of Vande Mataram at the beginning and end of official functions, describing the practice as an "unnecessary imposition." Reacting to the remarks, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress has shown disrespect towards national honour by opposing the full rendition of Vande Mataram.

"Once again, the Congress party has shown that it is against national honour. It has opposed the full rendition of Vande Mataram. Shashi Tharoor says it is an unnecessary imposition to sing all the stanzas. Vande Mataram in its full version has six stanzas, and yet you are calling it an unnecessary imposition," Poonawalla said in a video post on X.

He alleged that the Congress displayed the same mindset that had led to the national song being restricted to two stanzas in the past.

"This reflects the same mindset with which (Jawaharlal) Nehru reduced Vande Mataram to two stanzas. Even when it was limited to two stanzas, Congress leaders faced opposition. Arif Masood, Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi and other leaders said that even those two stanzas were not acceptable," he said.

Poonawalla alleged that the Congress even in the past yielded to pressure from sections opposed to the song and was continuing to do so because of its association with the Muslim League in Kerala.

"Mr Nehru did it under pressure from Jinnah. At that time, he capitulated by saying that Muslims would be irritated. Today, Congress is once again capitulating under pressure from the Muslim League mindset. The same Muslim League is now in government with them," he said.

The BJP leader also accused the Congress of applying double standards on issues related to nationalism and national symbols.

"They do not want the full rendition of Vande Mataram and are calling it an unnecessary imposition. Eulogising terrorists, glorifying Naxalites, and giving a platform to Hamas and Jamaat is completely fine for them. That is not considered an imposition. But the national song is," he said.

"This is coming from a party that says one should not say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' but 'Sonia Mata Ki Jai'. This is the true mindset," he added.

Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, also slammed Tharoor.

"Vande Mataram is India's national song -- not a political choice, not 'optional'. If states start selectively ignoring national protocols for political appeasement, the idea of national unity itself gets weakened," he said in a post on X.

"The problem is not with Vande Mataram. The problem is with those who are uncomfortable saying it," he added.

On Monday, Tharoor told reporters that everyone respects Vande Mataram, but making the full version mandatory at every function was difficult to justify.

He said Vande Mataram is the national song, is accorded respect by standing up, and most people know by heart its first, or the first couple of verses.

Tharoor noted that traditionally the song was sung once at the start of an event, while the national anthem was played separately, often at the end.

"Now they want all five verses to be sung at the beginning of every event and again at the end. I think that is an unnecessary imposition," the Congress Working Committee member said.