BJP Resolution Condemns Congress Decision To Limit Vande Mataram To Two Stanzas
BJP escalates Vande Mataram row with Congress.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday passed a resolution condemning the Congress Working Committee's decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party functions, accusing the opposition party of compromising the national song's legacy for political convenience and appeasement. The resolution was adopted at a meeting of the BJP's newly appointed national office-bearers chaired by party president Nitin Nabin. Nabin later shared details of the resolution on X, saying the BJP had passed an "important resolution" concerning respect for Vande Mataram and the protection of its historical legacy.
The BJP said it "strongly condemns and unequivocally opposes" the Congress Working Committee's August 19 decision to reaffirm a 1937 resolution under which only the first two stanzas of the song are sung at Congress functions. The BJP resolution said the party would oppose any attempt to subject the national song to "communal pressure, political appeasement or narrow vote-bank politics". Nabin said the BJP would not accept any compromise on the honour or legacy of Vande Mataram for political reasons.
The issue has emerged as a fresh point of confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with both parties presenting sharply different interpretations of the song's historical and political significance. According to the BJP resolution, the party will seek to protect the honour, dignity, heritage and national character of the full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram. It also reaffirmed what it described as the Constituent Assembly's 1950 declaration concerning the national song, along with a law passed by Parliament in 2026 that, according to the resolution, provides Vande Mataram statutory protection on par with Jana Gana Mana.
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The BJP further argued that the Congress Working Committee's latest decision cannot override either the Constitution or Parliament's legislation. The resolution described the Congress position dating back to 1937 as a "political compromise" and argued that it cannot take precedence over the constitutional decision of 1950 or the legislation enacted in 2026. The BJP has therefore positioned the issue as one concerning the legal and historical status of the national song rather than simply the format used at party events.
The controversy follows the Congress Working Committee's August 19 decision to reaffirm its earlier position on singing two stanzas of Vande Mataram at Congress functions. The BJP has strongly criticised that decision and has vowed to take the issue beyond the party's organisational meetings. Its resolution signals an intention to make the national song and its historical legacy part of a broader political campaign.
The BJP's decision comes as Nabin begins work with the party's newly appointed national team. The BJP announced its new national organisation earlier this week, with 65 office-bearers, including 51 new faces. The leadership reshuffle has been accompanied by discussions on electoral strategy, grassroots mobilisation and communicating the government's initiatives to the public.
With the latest resolution, the BJP has indicated that it intends to mount a nationwide campaign against what it considers any dilution of the national song's status or legacy. The party's stand is likely to deepen the political confrontation with Congress, particularly over questions involving nationalism, history and the interpretation of constitutional and parliamentary decisions. The dispute over Vande Mataram is therefore set to remain a prominent issue in the BJP-Congress political contest.
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