'This sin will never be forgiven': Amit Shah targets Sonia Gandhi over Vande Mataram row

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (August 16) accused the Congress of ‘shamelessness’ over an alleged attempt to stop the rendition of Vande Mataram midway during the party’s Independence Day programme. He said the alleged act would never be forgiven by the people of the country. Addressing a public gathering in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, Shah alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had asked the party president to stop the national song while it was being sung at the Congress headquarters on Independence Day.

“Look at their (Congress's) shamelessness. The anthem Vande Mataram was being sung at the Congress Party headquarters. During the anthem, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi told the Congress President to stop singing. We all just kept watching on TV,” Shah said. “Sonia ji, 140 crore people are watching you. This sin you have committed will never be forgiven by the people of this country. How can anyone even dream of leaving the anthem Vande Mataram incomplete? The people of Congress should feel ashamed,” he added.

Shah also demanded that the Congress apologise to the people and to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of Vande Mataram. “If there is any shame left, you should fold your hands and apologise to Bankim Babu's immortal spirit and the people,” Shah said. The controversy started after visuals from the Congress headquarters’ Independence Day event showed senior party leaders speaking among themselves while Vande Mataram was being recited. BJP leaders later alleged that the conduct amounted to disrespect towards the national song.

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BJP leader Amit Malviya also criticised Sonia Gandhi, alleging that she had objected to the complete rendition of Vande Mataram. He claimed that Gandhi became ‘agitated’ after the initial stanzas were sung and asked for the rendition to be stopped. Malviya claimed that Rahul Gandhi appeared to signal that the song should end. The Congress rejected the allegations, maintaining that Sonia Gandhi’s actions had nothing to do with stopping the national song. The party said she was only attempting to ensure that the appropriate arrangements were made for the rendition at the event.

Shah also linked the controversy to what he described as the Congress’s political approach, alleging that the party had “forgotten Vande Mataram due to vote-bank politics”. He recalled the role of Vande Mataram in India’s freedom struggle, saying thousands of people had faced bullets, lathis and imprisonment for singing the song. “After 80 years of Independence, Vande Mataram was sung at the Red Fort and all other places where flag hoisting was held,” Shah said.

Shah was addressing the gathering in Chittorgarh during the ‘Atal Gaurav Smriti Samaroh’. He also unveiled a 21-foot-tall statue of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Nimbahera on his death anniversary. Speaking about Vajpayee’s legacy, Shah highlighted several major decisions taken during his tenure, including India’s emergence as a nuclear power despite international pressure following the Pokhran tests.

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said the country’s borders were becoming safer under Shah’s leadership and highlighted various government initiatives benefiting Rajasthan. He also credited Shah with playing an important role in tackling Left-wing extremism and implementing the country’s new criminal laws.