Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress of insulting the national song Vande Mataram and demanded that the party apologise to the people and to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote the song.
Addressing a public meeting in Chittorgarh, Shah alleged that during the Congress' Independence Day programme at its headquarters, party leader Sonia Gandhi asked the party president to stop Vande Mataram midway.
"We all saw it on television," Shah said, adding that Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the people and to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's immortal soul.
"If there is any shame left, you should fold your hands and apologise to Bankim Babu's immortal spirit and the people," he said.
Shah accused the Congress of having forgotten the national song due to "vote-bank politics" and recalled the role Vande Mataram played during the freedom struggle, saying thousands of people faced bullets, lathis and imprisonment for singing it.
He also praised former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his contributions, including making India a nuclear power after the Pokhran tests, expanding road connectivity and establishing a separate ministry for tribal development.
Speaking at the 'Atal Gaurav Smriti Samaroh' on Vajpayee's death anniversary, Shah said the progress in tribal welfare was reflected in the election of Droupadi Murmu as India's president. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had continued to prioritise tribal welfare.
(With inputs from PTI)
