Daijiworld Media Network - Madurai
Madurai, Aug 29: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday criticised the BJP-led Centre over the Vande Mataram debate, describing the controversy and legislation surrounding the national song as "unnecessary" and "politically motivated".
Addressing an event on the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Chidambaram accused the Union government of creating an issue out of a non-issue by passing the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Bill was among 12 legislations cleared during the session.
The Rajya Sabha MP questioned the BJP and its ideological predecessors' association with Vande Mataram, saying there was no evidence that the Hindu Mahasabha, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Jana Sangh sang the song during the freedom movement, despite records from the period.
Chidambaram also alleged that the RSS did not hoist the national flag at its Nagpur headquarters for decades after Independence and instead used the saffron flag. He questioned the BJP's recent push to provide legal protection to Vande Mataram.
Tracing the history of the national song, Chidambaram said it gained popularity after Rabindranath Tagore sang it and Subramania Bharathi promoted it in southern India.
He said the first two stanzas praise the nation, while the remaining four invoke Hindu deities, leading to differences before Independence over which portions should be officially sung.
Chidambaram recalled that the Congress Working Committee deliberated on the issue in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
The committee unanimously decided that only the first two stanzas would be sung after Tagore advised Nehru that they were sufficient, he said.
Chidambaram contended that even today few political workers could sing both recognised stanzas in full, while almost none knew the entire composition.
He said singing all six stanzas would take around three minutes and, when combined with Tamil Thai Vazhthu and the national anthem at public events, would require participants to remain standing for nearly five minutes.
Chidambaram further alleged that the Amendment Bill was introduced at around 1.30 pm and passed within five minutes, leaving little scope for detailed consideration.
He termed the Bills "mischievous", also referring to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The amendment seeks to extend Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to Vande Mataram. It proposes penalties for deliberately preventing the singing of the national song or disrupting an assembly participating in it.
Chidambaram said the measure had created an unnecessary controversy instead of addressing a substantive national concern.