In a forceful and expansive address in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of deliberately engineering a debate on Vande Mataram to serve political goals, distract from governance failures, and target historical figures of the freedom movement.
The speech came hours after the Prime Minister launched a fierce critique of the Congress. Vadra responded by dissecting his claims, juxtaposing historical context with present-day political realities and questioning the government’s intent behind what she called an unnecessary and divisive discussion.
Calling Vande Mataram an integral part of the nation’s cultural and emotional fabric, Vadra said there was no scope for disagreement over the national song. “It is our national song. What debate can there be on it?” she asked. Accusing the government of committing a “sin” by dragging the song into controversy, she said its sanctity should never have been compromised for political one-upmanship.
She argued that the Modi government had brought Vande Mataram into parliamentary discourse not out of national concern but because of three political motives.
Three reasons behind the debate, says Vadra
First, she said the government was seeking to influence the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. By centering the discussion around Vande Mataram, she claimed the Prime Minister was attempting to insert himself into Bengal’s political landscape.
Second, Vadra alleged the ruling party wanted to create an opportunity to attack leaders of the freedom struggle—those who shaped India’s Independence and constitutional vision. “Those who made sacrifices… the government wants an opportunity to level allegations against them,” she said.
Third, she said the entire exercise was designed to divert public attention from immediate concerns such as unemployment, inflation, women’s safety, paper leaks and the rising cost of living. “You want us to keep delving into the past because this government does not want to look at the present or the future. They are no more capable of doing that,” she said, adding that the Prime Minister’s “self-confidence is on the wane.”
‘Politics of distraction, event management’
Vadra offered one of the sharpest indictments of the Modi government from the Opposition benches, branding it a “government of oppression” that relied on distraction tactics instead of addressing substantive issues. She accused the ruling party of focusing solely on elections and not on governance. “Your politics is pretence. It is event management. It runs from election to election,” she said.
Vande Mataram, she added, represents the “cry of hope” of millions of Indians that the government is ignoring every day.
Rebuttal to PM’s remarks on Nehru and the Constituent Assembly
Reacting to Modi’s claim that the Congress leadership, including Jawaharlal Nehru, had “divided” Vande Mataram under pressure from the Muslim League, Vadra said the Prime Minister had insulted towering figures of India’s freedom struggle and the framers of the Constitution. She said leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Rabindranath Tagore and B.R. Ambedkar had all endorsed the first two stanzas of the song, which were later formally accepted by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.
By raising doubts about the form and adoption of Vande Mataram, she said, the Prime Minister had “denigrated” these leaders.
‘Bring a list of allegations against Nehru’
Vadra also challenged the government to compile a comprehensive list of accusations against Nehru and debate them exhaustively, so that the matter is settled permanently. Referencing Modi’s earlier compilation of insults allegedly directed at him by the Opposition, she said: “Bring out a list—990 insults, 9,999 insults—whatever grievances you have against Nehru. Fix a time: 10 hours, 20 hours, 40 hours. Resolve it once and for all. After that, let us discuss unemployment, price rise, and issues faced by women.”
Tracing the history of Vande Mataram
Offering a detailed historical account, Vadra said the first two stanzas of the song were composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875, with four more added in Anandmath in 1882. The song, she noted, came under strain in the 1930s amid rising communal tensions.
She accused the Prime Minister of selectively quoting from correspondence between Nehru and Bose. Reading out from the original letters, she said Bose had first written to Nehru urging a discussion with the Congress Working Committee and Tagore. Nehru’s reply of October 20, 1937—which Modi partially quoted—made clear, she said, that the “outcry” against Vande Mataram had been “manufactured by the communalists.”
She also read a letter from Tagore to Nehru warning that the four later-added stanzas could be misinterpreted on communal lines, while reiterating the universal acceptance of the first two.
Vadra reminded the House that when the national song was formally declared in 1950, the decision was endorsed by all—including Ambedkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee—without dissent.
Rebuffing interruptions: ‘You are for elections, we are for the country’
Throughout her speech, Vadra faced frequent interruptions from ruling party MPs. She responded by doubling down on her claim that the government’s motivations were electoral, especially in Bengal. “You don’t want to hear what Netaji said… Bengal elections are coming,” she remarked at one point.
When the disruptions continued, she declared: “You are for elections and we are for the country. No matter how many elections we lose, we will continue to fight you and your ideology.”
A charged House, and a sharpened Opposition posture
Vadra’s nearly hour-long address marked one of the most combative interventions by the Congress in the ongoing session, setting the stage for continued confrontation between the Opposition and the treasury benches over the government’s priorities and its handling of contemporary challenges.
As the debate over Vande Mataram continues, the Congress has made it clear that it sees the government’s move as an attempt to steer national discourse away from real issues—something Vadra said the Opposition will resist both inside and outside Parliament.
Also Read: Vande Mataram’s 150th Anniversary: PM Modi Accuses Congress Of Doing ‘Tukde Tukde’ Of The Song https://www.vibesofindia.com/vande-matarams-150th-anniversary-pm-modi-accuses-congress-of-doing-tukde-tukde-of-the-song/
