The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a police complaint against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for allegedly disrespecting the national song Vande Mataram [1, 2].
The dispute centers on the symbolic importance of national symbols in India, where perceived insults to patriotic songs can trigger significant legal and political backlash.
The incident occurred on Aug. 15, 2024, during Independence Day celebrations at the Congress party headquarters in New Delhi [1, 2]. The BJP alleges that the Congress leaders deliberately omitted or interrupted the singing of the song to appeal to specific vote banks [2, 3].
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke on the matter during a rally in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. He said that the Congress forgot Vande Mataram out of greed for vote banks [1, 3]. Shah said the Congress should apologize for insulting Vande Mataram [3].
Congress party officials have denied the allegations. A party official said there was no attempt to interrupt the song [4].
While most reports name Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the complaint, some accounts indicate that police complaints were also filed against Mallikarjun Kharge [4]. The ruling party continues to demand a formal apology from the opposition leadership regarding the event [2].
“"The Congress forgot Vande Mataram out of greed for vote banks."”
This legal challenge reflects the ongoing ideological friction between India's two largest political parties. By framing the omission of a national song as a calculated political move for 'vote-bank politics,' the BJP is leveraging national identity and patriotism as a primary point of contention against the Congress leadership.
