Kangana Ranaut reacts to Sharmila Tagore's stance on Vande Mataram: 'Come out of Hindu Muslim mindset'

As the Vande Mataram row intensifies, several reactions are coming in. On Wednesday, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore reacted to it, saying that the nation should stick to only the first two stanzas of the national song Vande Mataram. Hours after Tagore shared her stance, actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut responded, asking how Tagore’s views on art and poetry could be so limited and contrived.

Sharmila shared her view after the row over the national song escalated between the political parties, Congress and BJP, after the 80th Independence Day of India.

Kangana Ranaut calls out Sharmila Tagore, says, '' Please come out of Hindu-Muslim mindset.''

Ranaut, who never shies away from sharing her views on public matters, re-shared the video of Tagore and wrote that she was shocked by the veteran star’s stand.

Taking to her Instagram stories, the Queen actress, “I appreciate that Sharmila ji has spoken about her reservation about Vande Mataram but I am shocked as an artist how can her views on art and poetry can be so limited and contrived. In any poetry or song, words are metaphors, A poet uses all kinds of imaginations, draws unbelievable parallels to bring about the desirable effect.”

She added, “Vande Mataram is the spirit of freedom struggle. Bankim Chandra ji is compelling the nation to awaken the shakti within, how can you reduce such a great piece of art to mere religious practice? Vivekananda famously said I need youth who are made of iron, bones of steel, and veins in which run thunderbolt. He was not giving weather forecast, he was simply demanding shakti to rise. Please come out of Hindu Muslim mindset. Even if believe in one god, doctors also call power shakti. Lets embrace each other like our own. I absolutely love you and don't mind a crushing hug like you always give me.''

Still of Kangana Ranaut's IG story Photograph: (IG)

What has Sharmila Tagore said on the controversy?

Speaking to IANS, the veteran actress said that the entire song may not comply with the religious beliefs of many people, adding that it has ‘Vande Kali, Vande Durga’, which may be a problem for people of different religious beliefs.

She told IANS, “My point of view is that there are many religious people who believe in one single God, not many Gods. In ‘Vande Mataram’, there is a stanza which says that many Gods are mentioned in

‘Vande Mataram’”

“It is difficult for those who believe in one religion to say, ‘Vande Kali, Vande Durga’. Therefore, if we take all the religious people in India together, the first two stanzas are very good”, she added.

Vande Mataram row: Amit Shah slams Congress over two-stanza national song stand

What is this whole controversy all about?

On Wednesday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) said that it will sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at its programmes. Reacting to this, BJP leader Nitin Nabin called Congress the ‘new Muslim League’.

"The Congress has now formalised its insult into a resolution. Its working committee has decided that only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' will be sung at Congress forums. When, just a few days ago, this same insult had been exposed in the conduct of an individual, the Congress had dismissed it as a coincidence. Today, that very insult has become the Congress's policy," Nabin posted on X.

AICC general secretary in charge of communication Jairam Ramesh also said that the BJP is making an issue out of nothing at the party headquarters Indira Bhavan in Delhi. “There is no controversy in this,” he said.

They cited the Congress Working Committee (CWC)'s 1937 resolution under which, only the first two stanzas of the national song would be sung at Congress programmes.

"Our stand is very clear. The CWC resolution of 1937… Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel. We will abide by the decision taken by them. Our Congress workers will do that only – sing only the first two stanzas,” Venugopal said. “The national anthem (Jana Gana Mana) and Vande Mataram are emotional for the Congress, but it is political for the BJP. That is the difference between us and them,” he added.