Congress Leaders Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Skip PM's Vande Mataram Address, BJP Calls It 'Utter Disrespect'

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Parliament Winter Session in the Lok Sabha on Vande Mataram, Leaders of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra skipped the PM Modi Vande Mataram address. 

BJP hit out at the opposition for "disrespecting" Vande Mataram, calling it an "utter disrespect for the Vande Mataram". 

BJP leader C.R. Kesavan, in a post on X, wrote, “When PM Narendra Modi ji paid exemplary tribute to Vande Mataram and our brave freedom fighters in Parliament today, LoP Rahul Gandhi was conspicuously absent, showing his utter disrespect for the patriotic Vande Mataram.” 

Further slamming the opposition, he said how PM Modi totally exposes the Congress for dishonouring the Vande Mataram by deleting certain stanzas to appease certain communities. 

“PM Narendra Modi ji also totally exposed how Nehru’s Congress dishonoured Vande Mataram and desecrated it by chopping it into pieces to pander to Congress's polarising politics of communal appeasement,” he wrote. 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambit Patra on Monday also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "exposed the Congress party's betrayal" of the national song during his address in Parliament.

Patra said senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were absent from the House during the discussion because they carried a "sense of guilt" over the party's historical stance on Vande Mataram.

"PM Modi in his speech today exposed Congress' betrayal of 'Vande Mataram'... At the time when such an important debate on Vande Mataram was taking place in the Parliament, both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were not present in the House because of the sense of guilt they had in their hearts due to the betrayal committed with Vande Mataram. They knew they would not be able to take it," he said.

Earlier in the day, on the sixth day of the Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly criticised the Congress party over what he described as its disrespect towards the national song. He also targeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for remaining absent during the discussion, alleging that the party had compromised on Vande Mataram and "surrendered before the Muslim League".

Addressing the Lok Sabha, PM Modi said, “Serious discussion is going on in Parliament, but LoP Rahul Gandhi is not present in the House. First Nehru, and now Rahul Gandhi, has shown disregard for Vande Mataram.” 

The Prime Minister accused the Congress of insulting the national song and surrendering before the Muslim League, stating, "Congress still insults Vande Mataram." Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and surrendered before the Muslim League. Nehru did a 'tukde-tukde' of Vande Mataram.”

He recalled a historical letter, adding, “Nehru had written to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that Vande Mataram could incite Muslims. There was a betrayal of Vande Mataram; the national song was sabotaged.” Highlighting the significance of the song in India's freedom struggle, the prime minister said that the "song was to revive our history and legacy of a thousand years."

“Vande Mataram” became the voice of our freedom movement. It integrated everyone in the country and became the resolve of every Indian... 'Swaarth ka balidaan hai ye shabd Vande Mataram'. 'Veer ka abhimaan hai ye shabd Vande Mataram.' During the British era, it became a fashion to show India as weak, useless, lazy, and demeaned in all possible ways. The same language was spoken by people in our country as well. Bankim da composed the song to shake the conscience of the country and bring an awakening. This song was to revive our history and legacy of a thousand years," PM Modi said.

Asserting that 'Vande Mataram' was not just a mantra for political independence, the prime minister said that it is a modern avatar of our great cultural legacy on the occasion of Vande Mataram completing 150 years. PM Modi hailed 'Vande Mataram' as a "powerful mantra" and slogan that energised and "inspired India's freedom movement", saying that the "government aims to restore its glory for future generations". 

(With Inputs from ANI)

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