The BJP on Friday attacked the Congress over its alleged opposition to a proposed law that seeks to grant the national song Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem, accusing the opposition party of having a long history of disrespecting the song, reported PTI.
The criticism came after the Centre listed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill for introduction, consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on July 20. According to a Lok Sabha Secretariat bulletin, the Bill proposes to make insulting or obstructing the mandatory singing of Vande Mataram at official events punishable, placing the national song on par with Jana Gana Mana under the law.
Addressing the issue in a video statement, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of objecting to a measure that, he said, was intended to honour the national song as it marks 150 years.
"Congress and its ecosystem hate Vande Mataram. The government is bringing the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act in order to give Vande Mataram, as the national song, the same respect given to the national flag and the national anthem. But instead of welcoming this, instead of celebrating the 150 years of Vande Mataram, Congress has a problem with it," he said.
Poonawalla also alleged that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had split Vande Mataram into two parts under pressure from the Muslim League and claimed that several Congress leaders refused to sing even the first two stanzas.
"Nehru ji divided the song into two parts. Congress and many of its leaders refused to sing Vande Mataram even when there were only the first two stanzas. Whether it is Siddaramaiah, the Madhya Pradesh Congress, or Sonia Gandhi, we have seen that they have a hatred towards Vande Mataram," he said.
Escalating his attack, the BJP spokesperson alleged that the Congress sympathised with Naxals and terrorists while opposing Vande Mataram.
"Even now, they hate Vande Mataram; this shows their mindset. They can eulogise Hidma, say 'Naxali shaheed hai' (Naxals are martyrs); they can have a soft corner for terrorists like Afzal and Yakub. But when it comes to Bharat Mata and Vande Mataram, they have a problem. This shows that it is not the INC, Indian National Congress, but ANC, Anti-National Congress," he said.
Poonawalla further linked the Congress' alleged stance on the issue to its political alliance in Kerala.
"Back then, they opposed Vande Mataram under pressure from the Muslim League. Today, they continue to oppose Vande Mataram because they are in alliance with the Muslim League in Kerala," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
