West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday demanded an apology from the Congress over an alleged incident involving the singing of “Vande Mataram” during the party's Independence Day event at the All India Congress Committee headquarters on August 15. Adhikari accused Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the singing of the full version of the patriotic song and described the alleged incident as an insult to nationalism and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Adhikari said the issue had triggered strong reactions in West Bengal, where “Vande Mataram” has deep historical and cultural associations. He claimed that people across the state were angry over what he described as disrespect towards the song and its historical significance. The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress was attempting to appease a particular vote bank through its position. “Yesterday was Independence Day, and the manner in which the Congress party disrespected 'Vande Mataram' while it was being sung at the party headquarters has come to light,” Adhikari said, according to ANI.

He argued that the song was closely associated with India's nationalist movement and had an important place in the country's national identity. The controversy centres on an alleged objection to the singing of the complete version of “Vande Mataram” at the Congress event. Adhikari said any such objection was unacceptable and particularly significant because the song was written by Bengali novelist and writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He described the alleged objection as an insult not only to the song but also to its author and the historical legacy associated with it.

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Adhikari further questioned the response from the Congress leadership and said there had been no satisfactory explanation from either Sonia Gandhi or the party regarding the matter. He called on the Congress to clarify its position and apologise over what he characterised as an affront to the patriotic song. The BJP leader also linked the controversy to the broader political debate over nationalism and alleged appeasement. He accused the Congress of seeking to satisfy a particular vote bank and said the issue had provoked widespread anger in West Bengal. His remarks added a political dimension to the dispute, with the song becoming the focus of criticism directed at the Opposition party on Independence Day.

“Vande Mataram”, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, became an important symbol of India's freedom movement. The song was included in his 1882 novel Anandamath and was widely used during the nationalist movement against British rule. Its first two stanzas have been accorded the status of India's national song, while the full composition contains additional verses. The controversy comes amid recurring political disagreements in India over national symbols, patriotic expressions and their place in public and political life.

The Congress has yet to provide, in the information available, a detailed response to Adhikari's allegations regarding Sonia Gandhi and the Independence Day event. Adhikari's demand for an apology is expected to intensify the political exchange between the BJP and Congress, particularly in West Bengal, where both parties have frequently clashed over questions of identity, nationalism and electoral politics. For now, the allegations made by Adhikari remain at the centre of the dispute, with a fuller response from the Congress awaited.

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