Congress Urges Allies to Back Shorter Vande Mataram Version
· India · Times of India, Hindustan Times
The Congress party has urged its political allies to stand with its stance on singing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram. The appeal followed an event in Jammu and Kashmir where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah stood in attention while all six stanzas of the national song were played. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal argued that the full version sits uneasily with India's pluralist ethos and referenced the party's 1937 resolution aimed at maintaining communal harmony. The BJP-led Centre enacted statutory protection for the full song earlier in 2026, mandating its performance at official events.
Why it matters
The disagreement over the national song highlights political friction between opposition allies and the ruling coalition's statutory mandates.
Read the original report — Times of India
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