Row In Karnataka Assembly Over Vande Mataram As Congress & BJP Clash Over Full Song Rendition

India Today

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed a political showdown between the Congress government and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the rendition of Vande Mataram. The assembly opened its session with the national song, where the Congress opted to stop after the first two stanzas. However, BJP legislators continued singing the full song inside the house. The BJP accused the ruling Congress of engaging in appeasement politics and failing to accord full honour to the national song, citing central government directives. Defending its stance, Congress highlighted historical precedents regarding the shorter rendition and challenged opposition members over their knowledge of the lyrics.

Transcript

00:00But first, our political bureau with our top story.

00:05From Parliament to Karnataka streets.

00:11And now the Karnataka Assembly.

00:14Vande Mataram is once again at the heart of a political showdown.

00:18On Monday, the Assembly opened its session with the National Song.

00:22But the Congress government stopped after the first two stanzas.

00:25The BGP refused to stop there and continued singing the remaining stanzas inside the House.

00:33The Congress says it opted for a shorter rendition.

00:37If I'm not wrong, the other four stanzas were, if I could read, if I could remember,

00:42it was told by Rabindranath Tagore only, whether to be continued or not,

00:46because the other four stanzas does not include,

00:48because there is an issue where other minorities in those times they had made an objection.

00:52This was discussed long back since from years together.

00:56Now all of a sudden, the great Vishwa Guru does not have anything.

01:00So he brought this.

01:01So most of the people, they don't know to sing anyway.

01:03Singing, whether they know or not.

01:04But what is the interest to get is only this only.

01:07I challenged them, right?

01:08Let them sing the entire Vande Mataram without a piece of paper,

01:13without a mobile or without a teleprompter.

01:15Were they able to sing that?

01:17Today you saw them, they were fumbling.

01:18Despite having the printed sheet with them, they were fumbling.

01:25They don't even know what it is.

01:27The BGP says the complete version must be played,

01:31citing a central government directive.

01:56The BGP says,

02:15The BGP has accused the Congress government of appeasement politics.

02:19It says Vande Mataram's place in India's freedom struggle demands

02:24that the song be accorded its full honor.

02:27Written by Bunkim Chandra Chattapadhyay,

02:30Vande Mataram has now returned to the political spotlight.

02:33A song that once united voices against colonial rule,

02:37now becoming the latest flashpoint between rival political camps.

02:42With Nagarjun Dwarkanath, Bureau Report, India Today.

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