Kharge Takes Fresh Swipe At Amit Shah, Citing His Long Political Experience And Legacy

Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his criticism of the Congress and its handling of the national song Vande Mataram. Addressing a public rally in Goa on Monday, Kharge invoked their age difference and political careers while questioning Shah's right to lecture the Congress on patriotism. "Amit Shah speaks against our Madam Sonia Gandhi, he speaks against the Gandhi family. When I first became an MLA, Amit Shah was a child, and today he's teaching us patriotism," the 84-year-old Congress leader said.

Kharge's remarks came amid an escalating political dispute over an Independence Day programme at the Congress headquarters. The controversy followed an allegation by Shah that Sonia Gandhi had asked Vande Mataram to be stopped midway during the Independence Day programme. The accusation triggered a political response from the Congress, with party leaders defending their conduct and questioning the BJP's interpretation of the event. Kharge's response was framed as a broader criticism of the BJP's attacks on the Congress and the Gandhi family. By referring to the period when he first entered electoral politics, Kharge sought to highlight his long political career and experience.

His comments also reflected the wider confrontation between the Congress and BJP over nationalism, patriotism and the symbolism attached to national songs and ceremonies. Kharge has been a prominent figure in Indian politics for several decades and currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. He became an MLA in Karnataka in the 1970s and went on to hold several ministerial and organisational positions before becoming Congress president. Shah, 61, entered electoral politics later and has since emerged as one of the BJP's most influential leaders. The dispute over Vande Mataram comes as political parties continue to spar over the legacy and symbolism associated with India's freedom movement.

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National songs, flags and Independence Day observances have frequently featured in political debates, with parties accusing one another of either politicising national symbols or failing to show them adequate respect. Shah's criticism of the Congress had centred on the alleged interruption of Vande Mataram during the party's Independence Day programme. The Congress has rejected the broader political framing of the incident, while Kharge's latest remarks shifted the focus towards Shah's criticism of Sonia Gandhi and the Gandhi family. The exchange adds to the continuing political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Congress, with both parties using public platforms to challenge each other's positions on issues of nationalism and political history.

Kharge's remarks in Goa underline that the Congress intends to push back strongly against allegations that question its commitment to national symbols. The controversy is likely to remain part of the political discourse as the two parties continue to trade accusations over the appropriate manner of observing national occasions. For Kharge, however, the immediate response was to remind Shah of his own decades-long political career while rejecting the suggestion that the Congress needs lessons in patriotism.

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