BJP president Nitin Nabin on Thursday slammed the Congress over its decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram at their events, saying the opposition party has become the "new Muslim League" for votes.
Nabin, in a post on X in Hindi, said, "This insult to the sacred invocation of 'Bharat Mata' is a disdain for those thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation, keeping this very song in their consciousness."
The BJP chief's response came after the Congress Working Committee on Wednesday decided to abide by the 1937 resolution of its highest decision-making body on Vande Mataram, saying only two stanzas of the National Song would be sung at all party events henceforth.
"The Congress has now formalised its insult (to Vande Mataram) into a resolution. Its working committee has decided that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at Congress forums," Nabin said.
He said, "The Congress has now become the new Muslim League today."
"This insult to the sacred invocation of 'Bharat Mata' is a disdain for those thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation, keeping this very song in their consciousness," he added.
In a veiled reference to a row over singing of the full version of Vande Mataram during the Independence Day event at the Congress office on August 15, Nabin said the same insult to the national song reflected in an "individual's conduct" a few days ago. Still, the Congress dismissed it as a "coincidence".
"Today, that very insult has become the Congress's policy," the BJP said, adding, "This is not merely a political defence, but proof of the hunger for that vote bank at the altar of which the Congress has repeatedly mortgaged the nation's self-respect."
VHP attacks Congress over decision to sing two stanzas of Vande Mataram
The VHP on Thursday also attacked the Congress over its decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at all party events, alleging that the opposition party is driven by a "foreign mindset" and cannot survive without appeasement politics.
In a post on X, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal alleged that the Congress' decision to refrain from singing the remaining four stanzas stems from the fact that they contain words that are deeply connected with Indian values, ancient culture, traditions and the national ethos.
"The remaining portion contains words such as dharma, marman, shakti, bhakti, temple, speech, knowledge and Durga, which are deeply connected with Indian values, culture, ancient traditions, faith, beliefs and national ethos," he said.
"How could the Congress, which draws inspiration from a foreign mindset, possibly accept such words? Anyway, when the strings of a fluttering kite are in the hands of a person of foreign origin and the party cannot survive without appeasement politics, what else can it do?" he said.
"The Congress again decided to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram at its headquarters on Independence Day despite playing the full song, and why did the three of them grossly insult it there?" Bansal said, referring to Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge without naming them in the post.
"If a party cannot be loyal to the national song, how can it be loyal to its country? People will have to think about this, especially those patriots who still have even a little sympathy left for them," Bansal said.
"Remember, it may be alright if you do not sing the national song, but if you disrespect or insult it anywhere when it is being sung, no one can save you from going to jail.
It would be better if no one gets caught up in this trap of these Congressmen, because the law has now been notified," he said.
(With Inputs from PTI)
