'Appeasement Over Pride': BJP Demands Rahul Gandhi's Apology Over Nehru Congress' 1937 'Blunder' On Vande Mataram

New Delhi: As Parliament prepares for a special discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, the political row between the BJP and Congress escalated on Monday, with BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accusing the Congress of prioritising “vote-bank politics over national pride.”

In a sharp attack on the Opposition, Poonawalla demanded an apology from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over what he termed the party's “historical blunder” of truncating Vande Mataram in 1937. He alleged that the Congress leadership, including Jawaharlal Nehru, had sidelined the national song under pressure from certain Muslim groups.

“Even as Parliament is all set to hold a historic debate on 150 years of Vande Mataram, the Congress should begin by apologising. Nehru called it unsuitable as a national song and dismissed its cultural roots. This was appeasement over nationalism,” Poonawalla posted on X.

Quoting archived correspondence purportedly between Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Muhammad Ali Jinnah from 1937, he claimed the Congress had “bowed down to communal demands” and laid the groundwork for ideological division. “First they divided Vande Mataram, then they divided India, and today they still divide society,” he alleged, accusing the Congress of supporting “Tukde Tukde gang” figures like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

Echoing similar criticism, BJP National Spokesperson C.R. Kesavan said the debate would help the younger generation “understand how the Nehru Congress blatantly chopped off Vande Mataram only for vote bank politics.”

However, the Congress hit back, rejecting the BJP’s narrative and accusing the ruling party of “twisting history.”

“This anthem was promoted by Congress when BJP or then RSS was hand in gloves with foreign rulers,” Congress spokesperson Udit Raj told Republic. “They supported the British Raj. Rather, they should apologise, not us.”

The remarks come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected address in the Lok Sabha at noon today, as part of the special debate marking 150 years of the national song. The government has been allocated three hours for the discussion, while the full debate - spread across Lok Sabha today and Rajya Sabha tomorrow - will run for a total of 10 hours.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will speak at the end of the Lok Sabha debate, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to open the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Eight Congress leaders are expected to speak during the debate, including Deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Deepender Hooda.

The debate marks 150 years since Vande Mataram was first published in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s magazine Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875. Later included in his novel Anandamath, and later set to tune by Rabindranath Tagore, the anthem became a rallying cry during the freedom struggle.

The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 1, will conclude on December 19.

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