Controversy Over Vande Mataram's History Resurfaces

The political rift between Congress and Prime Minister Narendra Modi widened on Friday, after Modi criticized the 1937 exclusion of stanzas from the national song 'Vande Mataram'. The Prime Minister claimed the move fostered a divisive mindset contributing to partition.

Rabindranath Tagore, who had initially suggested adopting only two stanzas, became a focal point in the rebuttal. Congress’s Jairam Ramesh labeled Modi's accusations against the Nobel laureate 'shameful', citing historical evidence that Tagore influenced the decision significantly.

The debate underscores the cultural and historical weight of 'Vande Mataram', which was formally adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1950, but still remains a subject of political discourse.