The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar on Tuesday criticised the Union government ahead of the Rajya Sabha’s scheduled discussion on Vande Mataram, alleging that the move is “planned to attack Jawaharlal Nehru and India’s freedom movement.”
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Kumar said,
“Today, Vande Mataram will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha. All this is planned to attack Jawaharlal Nehru and India’s freedom movement. The whole intention of these types of movements is nothing. Before the Prime Minister or the Home Minister even begins the speech, we can easily understand the content of the speech.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to open the debate in the Upper House as part of the Parliament’s special focus on commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram.
A similar discussion took place in the Lok Sabha on Monday, where MPs across party lines reflected on the role of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s composition in the freedom struggle. The session also saw heated exchanges between BJP and opposition members. Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the opposition for “appeasement politics” and for creating controversies around Vande Mataram.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also targeted the Congress, accusing it of “fragmentation” of the National Song and continuing appeasement politics. He argued that while the National Anthem secured its place in national consciousness, the National Song was “marginalised.”
Responding to the attacks, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the Prime Minister of “selectively” presenting facts during the debate.
The discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram lasted nearly 12 hours, stretching until midnight, with a large number of MPs sharing their perspectives.
The 150th anniversary was observed on November 7 this year. Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Vande Mataram was first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875, and later included in his novel Anandamath (1882). The hymn, set to music by Rabindranath Tagore, has become deeply embedded in India’s cultural, political, and civilisational ethos.
The Winter Session of Parliament — the 6th Session of the 18th Lok Sabha and the 269th Session of the Rajya Sabha — began on December 1 and will continue until December 19.
