'Reject Vote Bank Politics': BJP Steps Up Attack On Congress In 10-Point Vande Mataram Resolution

News india 'Reject Vote Bank Politics': BJP Steps Up Attack On Congress In 10-Point Vande Mataram ResolutionLast Updated:August 22, 2026, 18:21 ISTThe BJP condemned the Congress Working Committee's decision to retain its 1937 resolution restricting the singing of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas.Rapid ReadRapid ReadSummarized by AI.+BJP condemns Congress's Vande Mataram resolution.Congress restricts Vande Mataram to 2 stanzas.BJP calls it "vote bank politics."Got Question about the News?BJP President Nitin Nabin (Image: PTI/File)The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday passed a resolution opposing the Congress Working Committee’s decision to retain its 1937 resolution restricting the singing of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas in the party’s official programmes. The resolution was passed during the first office-bearers’ meeting under BJP national president Nitin Nabin.In the resolution, the BJP strongly condemned and opposed the Congress Working Committee’s decision, saying it regarded Vande Mataram as the National Song of Bharat, an expression of reverence for Bharat Mata, a mantra of the freedom struggle and an immortal symbol of national consciousness.Recommended StoriesBJP Forms New Gen Z Outreach Team With Nitin Nabin, Smriti Irani Among Key Faces1937 Vs 2026: Why Tagore’s 89-Year-Old Advice Holds Key To Congress-BJP Vande Mataram WarVande Mataram Full 6 Stanzas: Amid Sharmila Tagore-Kangana Ranaut Spat, The Text You Need To ReadBJP To Launch Month-Long Campaign From Sept 17 To Mark PM Modi's 25-Year Public ServiceThe party also called it a striking irony that the Vande Mataram, which was suppressed by the British to prevent resistance against colonialism, was now being restricted by the Congress “in the name of communal appeasement."BJP’s 10-Point ResolutionTo strongly condemn and unequivocally oppose the Congress Working Committee’s decision of 19 August 2026 to reaffirm its 1937 resolution and restrict Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at Congress programmes.To uphold the honour, dignity, legacy and national status of the complete Vande Mataram as the National Song of Bharat and as an immortal symbol of India’s national consciousness and freedom struggle.To affirm the constitutional and statutory status of Vande Mataram as established by the Constituent Assembly’s 1950 pronouncement and reinforced by Parliament’s 2026 amendment extending statutory protection to the National Song equivalent to that accorded to the National Anthem.To reject every attempt to subordinate the National Song to communal pressure, political appeasement or narrow vote-bank considerations.To remind the Congress that a resolution of its Working Committee cannot override the constitutional institutions or laws of the Republic of India, and that a political compromise of 1937 cannot be elevated above the constitutional settlement of 1950 and legislation enacted by Parliament in 2026.To expose before the people of Bharat the historical and political context in which the truncation of Vande Mataram took place, including the objections raised by the Muslim League and the subsequent politics of communal and separatist demands.To recall and disseminate Mahatma Gandhi’s own testimony that Vande Mataram had become an “anti-imperialist cry" and that he associated it with “the purest national spirit", demonstrating its larger national meaning beyond the literary or religious context of particular stanzas.To undertake a nationwide campaign through BJP Karyakartas to take this history, meaning, national significance and glorious legacy of Vande Mataram to every corner of Bharat.To educate and mobilise the people, especially the younger generation, so that the complete six-stanza National Song and its history are not forgotten and future generations understand the sacrifices, struggles and patriotic awakening with which Vande Mataram is inseparably associated.To affirm that no compromise can be accepted with the honour and legacy of Vande Mataram for political convenience or appeasement.BJP’s Attack On CongressThe BJP also called upon all citizens to remember that Vande Mataram was used to frighten an empire and that generations of Indians have used it as a mantra of freedom, sacrifice and national pride. It said the legacy of the song cannot be reduced to “calculations of contemporary vote bank politics."It also criticised Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, saying the Congress’s approach towards Vande Mataram bore similarities with the same political mindset with which it “once bowed to the communal objections of the Muslim League and restricted the complete form of the National Song."“A party that claims to be a flag-bearer of patriotism cannot escape the contradiction between that claim and its conduct when it displays such hostility towards the National Song."News18 NewsletterHandpicked stories, in your inboxA newsletter with the best of our journalismQuick AnswersPowered byAsk News18The BJP's resolution on Vande Mataram is likely to impact upcoming elections, as the party has historically used issues of nationalism and cultural identity in its election campaigns.Powered byAsk News18About the AuthorAveek BanerjeeAveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read MoreLocation : First Published:August 22, 2026, 18:06 ISTDisclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Loading comments...Read More