Congress MP Imran Masood: Will Stand, Won't Sing Vande Mataram
· India · Times of India, India Today, The Hindu
On 17 August 2026, Congress MP Imran Masood said he would respect Vande Mataram but would not sing it, citing his constitutional right to worship Allah. He added he would stand when the anthem is recited but had never sung it and would not do so in the future. Masood’s remark surfaced amid a row involving Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge over the anthem’s recitation, and after the BJP lodged a complaint against Sonia Gandhi. At a rally in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Sonia Gandhi of asking workers to stop the rendition, a claim she denied, saying she only requested a chair for Kharge. The controversy followed the first full public rendition of Vande Mataram during this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights tensions within Congress over religious freedom and national symbols, influencing how the party presents itself to voters. It also frames a public debate on the constitutional rights of MPs and the role of secularism in legislative conduct.
Read the original report — Times of India
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