Modi trying to rewrite ‘Vande Mataram’ history, can’t blot Nehru’s legacy: Congress

The Congress on Monday (December 8) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to "rewrite history" and giving a "political colour" to the "Vande Mataram" debate, and asserted that no matter how much the BJP tries, it will not be able to put a single blot on the contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru.

The opposition party also said it was the Congress that gave "Vande Mataram" the importance it deserved and the status of national song.

‘Diverting attention from people’s problems’: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the government pushed for a debate on Vande Mataram as the West Bengal assembly polls were approaching and that it wanted to divert attention from the problems people were facing.

Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on 150 years of national song Vande Mataram, she hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is not the prime minister he used to be as his "self-confidence was decreasing and policies were weakening the country".

The Congress MP from Wayanad slammed the BJP for targetting first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and alleged that the government wanted this debate to make fresh allegations against those who fought for the country's freedom.

Also Read: Vande Mataram debate in Parliament: Historian questions Modi govt | Capital Beat

"Since you keep talking about Nehru, let's do one thing, let's assign a time for a discussion, list out all the insults against him... debate it and let's close the chapter once and for all," she said.

"After that, let’s talk about today’s issues - price rise and unemployment," she said.

The Congress leader also listed the "chronology" of the national song Vande Mataram and cited correspondence between Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose to rebut Prime Minister Modi's charge that the Congress indulged in politics of appeasement over Vande Mataram.

‘What is the need for a debate?’

"The topic that we are discussing is part of the soul of the country. When we mention Vande Mataram, it reminds us of the history of our freedom struggle. This debate is strange; this song has made a place in people's hearts; so what is the need for a debate?" Priyanka Gandhi said.

"What is our objective, our responsibility towards people, how are we fulfilling that. ...Why are we having a debate on the national song? What debate can there be on it? We are having this debate as Bengal polls are coming and the prime minister wants to play his role in that," she alleged.

Also Read: Modi refers to Vande Mataram creator as ‘Bankim da’; TMC up in arms

The second reason why the government wanted this debate is that it wanted to make fresh allegations against those who fought for the country's freedom and made enormous sacrifices for the country, Priyanka Gandhi claimed.

"You want us to keep delving into the past because this government does not want to look at the present and the future," she said.

"Prime Minister Modi is not the PM he used to be; it is showing that his self-confidence is decreasing and his policies are weakening the country. My friends in the government are silent because deep inside they also know this," she said.

'Chronology of Vande Mataram'

Priyanka Gandhi urged people to understand the chronology of Vande Mataram.

"Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote the song in 1875, when he wrote the first two stanzas and in 1882, published it in Anand Math after adding four stanzas," she said.

In 1896, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore sang it for the first time at a Congress session, she said.

Also Read: PM Modi says Congress split Vande Mataram stanzas in line with Muslim League

She also cited correspondence between Nehru and Bose and rebutted PM Modi's charge that the Congress indulged in appeasement.

She said that questioning the decision of having the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram as the national song was akin to questioning the Constituent Assembly and its members.

"Modi ji has been PM for about 12 years and Nehru ji was in jail for around the same period," she said on the prime minister's criticism.

‘Cannot put a single blot on Nehru’s contributions’: Gaurav Gogoi

Speaking during the day-long discussion, Congress deputy leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi alleged that it is the prime minister's habit to keep referring to India's first prime minister Nehru and the Congress whenever he speaks on any issue.

"He took Nehru ji's name 14 times and that of the Congress 50 times during the debate on Operation Sindoor. When there was a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, Nehru's name was taken 10 times and that of the Congress 26 times," he said.

Also Read: PM Modi to lead Vande Mataram debate in Lok Sabha today

"During the discussion on the President's Address in 2022, he (Modi) took Pandit Nehru ji's name 15 times. The PM, during the discussion on the President's Address in 2020, took Pandit Nehru ji's name 20 times. I want to say with utmost humility to Narendra Modi ji and his entire system, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to put even a single blot on Pandit Nehru ji's contributions," Gogoi said.

Gogoi's attack came after Modi accused the Congress of breaking "Vande Mataram" into pieces under the guise of social harmony, and said it was still following the politics of appeasement. The PM also targetted Nehru for agreeing with the suggestion that "Vande Mataram" could antagonise Muslims.

‘Congress gave it national song status’

In his remarks, Gogoi asserted that if any political party gave "Vande Mataram" the importance it deserved, it was the Congress. He said his party ensured that it is not just looked upon as a political slogan but was given the status of national song.

It was in the 1896 Calcutta session of the Congress that Rabindranath Tagore first sang "Vande Mataram", he said.

Also Read: UP CM makes Vande Mataram compulsory in all schools; 'no new Jinnahs should emerge'

Gogoi further said that in the 1905 Banaras session of the Congress, Sarala Devi sang "Vande Mataram".

"An important amendment was made in this song which was that of population. The original song mentioned 7 crore, but during the Banaras session in 1905, Sarla Devi made it 30 crore and turned the focus of the entire country to Vande Mataram," Gogoi said.

‘Attempt to rewrite history’

He said the PM's speech had two objectives - to rewrite history and give a political colour to this debate.

"It seemed that your political ancestors participated in various movements against the British. So I saw the intention in the PM's speech to rewrite and revise history. The second objective was to give a political colour to this debate," he added.

The prime minister also referred to the Congress Working Committee and Nehru.

Gogoi pointed out that it was the Muslim League that wanted to say that the whole "Vande Mataram" must be boycotted.

Also Read: PM Modi links omission of ‘Vande Mataram’ stanzas in 1937 to India's partition

"Congress's Maulana Abul Kalam Azad said, 'I have no problems with Vande Mataram'. That was the difference between the Congress and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Despite the League putting pressure, a decision was taken in the 1937 session of the Congress that the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at national gatherings," he said.

The Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha protested the Congress's decision but the party did not act on their diktat but went by the sentiments of the people.

The slogan of "Vande Mataram" was raised in opposition to the British Raj to instil fear in the heart of the British Raj, he said.

‘Where was BJP’s political ancestors during Quit India Movement?’

"I want to ask - When did your political ancestors fulfil this intent of 'Vande Mataram'? When did your political ancestors oppose the British Raj?" Gogoi said.

"I want to ask - when the 'Quit India Movement' was taking place, where were the political ancestors of the BJP? It is recorded in history that the political ancestors of the BJP had said that one should not participate in the Quit India Movement," he said.

He alleged that the BJP has never even tried to understand the nation.

There are many languages and states in India, but only one national scripture and that is the Constitution, the Congress leader said.

‘Congress still protecting Constitution today’

"We are still protecting this very Constitution today," Gogoi said.

Gogoi alleged that the Modi government wants to strip away all the rights of the country's citizens such as the right to vote, the right to independent thought, the right to love someone, and the right to criticise the government.

Today, there is no British rule in the country, but political forces that follow their divide-and-rule policy still remain, he claimed.

Also Read: 150 years of 'Vande Mataram': PM Modi unveils commemorative stamp, coin

In a swipe at the BJP-RSS, Gogoi said that when the entire country accepted “Jana Gana Mana” as the national anthem, "your political ancestors neither hoisted the tricolour nor sang the national anthem in their branches for 52 years".

Today, the people of the country are raising many issues, but the prime minister's speech did not address those matters.

"A bomb explosion occurred in the country's capital, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not mention it even once. We are celebrating the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram,' but are we able to provide security to the present-day India? Have we provided security to the people of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir?" he said.

(With agency inputs)