UNI

New Delhi, Sep 9: The Congress on Friday lashed out at the BJP for making a fuss and giving a political colour to party President Sonia Gandhi's absence in a Seva Dal function organised to sing Vande Mataram on its centenary day, and said there was no need for her to take a certificate of patriotism from a party whose leaders abstained from participating in the freedom movement.

At a time when the people in the country were coming forward to sacrifice their lives for the sake of freedom of the country, the leaders of the erstwhile Jan Sangh were busy tendering written apologies to the Britishers, Congress Spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said and asked whether the Congress President should seek a certificate of patriotism from such a party.

He told reporters here that the then Jan Sangh leaders had gone to the extent of testifying in the courts against freedom fighters in favour of the Britishers thus making their loyalty to the freedom movement suspect.

Chaturvedi said the Vande Mataram had been a part of the Congress culture since last 100 years, but it was the BJP's parent body, RSS, which never unfurls the national flag in its headquarters. "Is this an example of patriotism on the part of the RSS," he asked.

He recalled that during the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh Government had made singing of Vande Mataram compulsory but Mr Vajpayee intervened to say that singing of national song could not be made mandatory.

Clarifying that Sonia Gandhi was not invited to the Seva Dal function, where AICC Treasurer Moti Lal Vora was the chief guest, Chaturvedi said it was not always that she is invited to every Seva Dal function. He said the BJP's statement over Sonia Gandhi's absence was born out of frustration at being on the verge of disintegration, adding the party had become directionless.