"National Song Marginalised": Rajnath Singh Slams Congress In Parliament

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a blistering speech today slamming the Congress for "fragmentation" of the national song Vande Mataram due to its "appeasement politics" that started in the days of Jawaharlal Nehru. "Restoring the glory of Vande Mataram is the need of the hour and also a demand of morality," he said.

Addressing the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, Rajnath Singh said the "justice that should have been done to Vande Mataram did not happen" and unequal treatment was given to the national anthem and the national song. 

The National Anthem found a place in the national consciousness, but the National Song was "marginalised". The "injustice to Vande Mataram was not an isolated incident, but a beginning to the appeasement politics by Congress... This was not an injustice to a song, but to the people of independent India," he added.

Vande Mataram was "not mere words but emotions, poem, pulse and a philosophy," Singh said. 

It worked as mantra not just in India but for Indians living abroad as well. 

Citing examples, he said in 1912, when Gopal Krishna Gokhale arrived in South Africa, he was welcomed with slogans of Vande Mataram. Shahid Bhagat Singh and Shahid Chandrashekhar Azad's letters began with Vande Mataram, and it was also the last words of Madanlal Dhingra. 

"It is not just a song but the essence of nationalism," Singh said. 

"Vande Mataram is complete in itself. But attempts were made to make it incomplete. Every time, however, it has remained the immortal song of our nation, and it will remain so," the minister declared.

The allegations of the Congress trying to fragment Vande Mataram came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. 

PM Modi, who also participated in the discussion in the Lok Sabha, accused the Congress of insulting the national song and surrendering before the Muslim League. "The Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and surrendered before the Muslim League. Nehru did a 'tukde-tukde' of Vande Mataram," he said. 

Singh said under PM Modi's leadership, the country will celebrate the 150 years of Vande Mataram with the respect and status it deserves.