The BJP on Sunday lodged police complaints against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in Bengaluru and Mangaluru over allegations that she showed disrespect to the national song Vande Mataram during an Independence Day event.
In Bengaluru, the BJP Yuva Morcha filed a complaint at the Malleshwaram police station, alleging that Gandhi had insulted and attempted to interrupt the presentation of Vande Mataram. The youth wing sought legal action against her.
The Yuva Morcha also staged a protest near the BJP state headquarters, with its state president and MLA Dheeraj Muniraju demanding that Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi apologise to the people of the country. He said the protest would continue until they did so.
In its complaint, the BJP Yuva Morcha said Vande Mataram played an important role in India's freedom struggle and is now the national song. It claimed that the song is required to be accorded the same respect as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
The complaint referred to a video of an Independence Day flag-hoisting event attended by Gandhi, alleging that she displayed disrespect while Vande Mataram was being presented and deliberately attempted to interrupt it.
The BJP sought action under Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alleging that Gandhi's conduct amounted to an insult to the national song and could disturb public peace.
A similar complaint was lodged at the Urva police station in Mangaluru, where BJP leaders Vikas K and Rajgopal accused Gandhi of inappropriate conduct concerning Vande Mataram and sought action against her.
Police have not yet registered an FIR in either case. Police officials told news agency PTI that legal advice had been sought before deciding whether to register an FIR. The BJP leaders, however, maintained that an FIR could be registered under the relevant provisions of law and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The complaints follow the BJP's allegation on Saturday that Gandhi had objected to the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at the party's Independence Day event.
The Congress has denied the allegation, saying there was no attempt to stop the complete version of the national song. It maintained that Gandhi had only asked for a chair for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing for some time.
The controversy comes shortly after Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which makes insults to the national song a punishable offence. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill by voice vote on July 30, a day after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha. The legislation also accords Vande Mataram a status on par with Jana Gana Mana.
(With PTI inputs)