During a Lok Sabha discussion, PM Narendra Modi criticised Congress for allegedly betraying ‘Vande Mataram’ due to pressure from Mohammed Ali Jinnah, labelling it a “grave injustice” rooted in appeasement politics.
PM Narendra Modi on Monday charged Congress with betraying ‘Vande Mataram,’ saying it bowed to pressure from Mohammed Ali Jinnah to “divide” the song, even though Mahatma Gandhi had hailed it as nearly a national anthem and called the party’s move a “grave injustice” born of appeasement politics. In a Lok Sabha discussion marking the 150th anniversary of the national song, Modi highlighted its evolution as a rallying cry for patriots and a symbol of unity against British rule, including during the popular agitation against Bengal’s 1905 division.
The Prime Minister said that Gandhi, who then practised law in South Africa, had recognised its immense appeal in Bengal. Citing Gandhi’s 1905 remarks in the weekly Indian Opinion, PM Modi said, “It is so popular that (it is almost) as if it has become our national anthem. Its sentiments are great, and it is sweeter than anthems of other nations. Its sole motive is to ignite the patriotic spirit in us. It sees India as mother and worships her”.
Nehru sidelined Indian sentiments in the name of appeasement politics. ⚠️
By breaking Vande Mataram into pieces, Congress laid the first brick towards breaking Bharat.❗
He insulted Vande Mataram by removing its original verses to please a certain section of muslim league.‼️… pic.twitter.com/XAqe0bYTJr
— BJP (@BJP4India) December 8, 2025
PM Modi Claims Nehru Compromised With Jinnah, Betraying ‘Vande Mataram’
“If it was such a great song, why was it betrayed in the last century?” asked PM Narendra Modi, taking aim at India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. “Which forces overrode the sentiments of revered Bapu? A sacred song like ‘Vande Mataram’ was dragged into controversy,” he said, referring to Congress’s 1937 decision to limit its recital to the first two paragraphs.
The current generation must understand why a song that once alarmed the British, so much so that it was banned and those who sang it were repressed, was betrayed. PM Modi also took a swipe at the Trinamool Congress, noting that parties with “Congress” in their name continue to stir controversy over the song, which some Muslims have criticised for its vivid Hindu imagery, including references to deities. Responding to such critics, Modi framed the song as a strong expression of cultural nationalism, a core principle of the Sangh Parivar, pointing out that even the Vedas envision India as a mother.
PM Modi’s over 55-minute speech in Lok Sabha proceeded without any major disruptions. During his address, he made a concession to TMC MP Saugata Roy, who objected to Modi’s use of the informal suffix “da” instead of the more respectful “babu” after the songwriter Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s first name. The Prime Minister thanked him for the suggestion and used “babu” for Bankim from that point onward.
Highlighting the song’s association with Bengali icons like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Rabindranath Tagore, who set it to music, PM Modi’s remarks are seen as part of the BJP’s effort to strengthen its connect with West Bengal voters ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The party aims to challenge the CM Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which has often emphasised regional identity to position itself against its main rival.
PM Modi also addressed the historical controversy over the song, noting that when Jinnah protested against it on October 15, 1937, Nehru, then Congress president, felt insecure and sided with the Muslim League. Writing to Subhas Chandra Bose, Nehru argued that the song’s Anandamath background might provoke Muslim sentiments. Instead of standing up to Jinnah and Congress, Nehru compromised, and at the Kolkata session on October 26, 1937, the song was pruned to its first two paragraphs, which PM Modi termed as ironic, given that the session was held in Chatterjee’s home state.
