Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Congress Defends Vande Mataram Stance Amid BJP Allegations
A Congress leader defended his party after criticism about Vande Mataram.
Some people alleged that Sonia Gandhi stopped the song from being sung at an Independence Day event.
B.K. Hariprasad said this was not true.
He said Gandhi only wanted the song to be sung correctly.
He also said she asked for a chair because Mallikarjun Kharge could not stand for a long time.
Hariprasad said Congress workers would sing two stanzas of the song.
He accused the RSS and BJP of creating a misleading controversy.
He also asked how often they sing Vande Mataram and the national anthem.
Karnataka Congress chief B.K. Hariprasad defended the party’s position on singing Vande Mataram.
Hariprasad said Congress workers would sing only two stanzas, even if jailed or hanged.
He denied that Sonia Gandhi stopped Vande Mataram from being sung at an Independence Day event.
Hariprasad said Gandhi objected only to the song being sung incorrectly and requested a chair for Mallikarjun Kharge.
He called the allegations a conspiracy by the RSS and BJP and questioned their own observance of Vande Mataram and the national anthem.
- Who
- Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President B.K. Hariprasad, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress, the BJP and the RSS.
- What
- A dispute over allegations that Sonia Gandhi stopped Vande Mataram from being sung at an Independence Day event.
- When
- Hariprasad made the remarks on Tuesday; the disputed incident occurred at an Independence Day event, with no specific date provided.
- Where
- Hariprasad spoke to reporters in Delhi; the dateline is Bengaluru.
- Why
- Hariprasad said Gandhi objected to the song being sung incorrectly and requested a chair for Kharge, while the Congress sought to rebut criticism from the BJP and RSS.
Congress Position
BJP and RSS Criticism
What happened during Vande Mataram
Congress Position
Hariprasad said Sonia Gandhi did not stop the song; she objected to it being sung incorrectly and asked that it be performed properly.
BJP and RSS Criticism
The allegations against Gandhi claimed that she had stopped Vande Mataram from being sung during an Independence Day event.
Political interpretation
Congress Position
Hariprasad described the allegations as a conspiracy and cunning scheme by the RSS and BJP.
BJP and RSS Criticism
The BJP and RSS criticized the reported incident and questioned the Congress’s position on Vande Mataram.
Participation and protocol
Congress Position
Hariprasad said Gandhi requested a chair for Mallikarjun Kharge because of his age and leg problems, and defended singing two stanzas.
BJP and RSS Criticism
The criticism focused on the Congress’s conduct surrounding Vande Mataram and the national anthem.
- Speaker
- B.K. Hariprasad, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
- Song at issue
- Vande Mataram
- Congress position
- Hariprasad said Congress workers would sing only two stanzas
- Sonia Gandhi’s stated objection
- Hariprasad said she objected to the song being sung incorrectly
- Mallikarjun Kharge
- Hariprasad said Kharge is 84 years old and has leg problems that make standing difficult
- Critics named
- The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
- Event referenced
- An Independence Day event