Shah attacks Congress over Vande Mataram row, demands apology from Sonia Gandhi

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 Independence Day programme at the Congress headquarters, party leader Sonia Gandhi asked Vande Mataram to be stopped midway through the song.

Referring to the Independence Day celebrations held on Saturday, Shah said after 80 years of Independence, 'Vande Mataram' was sung at the Red Fort and all other places where flag hoisting was held.

"Thousands of people faced bullets and lathis and were jailed for singing 'Vande Mataram'," Shah said, referring to the use of the revolutionary slogan during the freedom struggle.

He alleged that during the Independence Day programme at the Congress headquarters, Sonia Gandhi had asked the party president to stop the song 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.

The home minister alleged that the Congress had forgotten 'Vande Mataram' due to vote-bank politics.

The BJP hit out at the Congress, alleging that its top leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge showed "utter disrespect" towards 'Vande Mataram' when it was being sung at the party's Independence Day event, and demanded an apology from them.

Several leaders of the ruling BJP also accused Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the singing of the full version of 'Vande Mataram' at the event, a charge that the Congress denied, asserting that there was no attempt to stop the singing of the full version of the national song and she was only asking for a chair for party chief Mallikarjun Kharge as he was standing for a while.

Addressing the gathering at 'Atal Gaurav Smriti Samaroh' held on the death anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shah highlighted the contributions of the former prime minister.

Vajpayee took several major decisions, including making India a nuclear power despite international pressure after the Pokhran tests, Shah said.

He said Vajpayee's government connected villages with roads, built national highways and launched several initiatives during its tenure. He also credited Vajpayee with establishing a separate ministry for tribal development.

The home minister said the progress made in tribal welfare was reflected in the election of Droupadi Murmu as president of India, who came from a tribal family and rose to the top post.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued to give priority to tribal welfare.

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said the country's borders were becoming safer under Shah's leadership and Rajasthan was also benefiting from it.

Sharma said the state was progressing under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi and credited Shah with playing an important role in eliminating the problem of Left-wing extremism and implementing new criminal laws.