Chengalpattu/New Delhi, August 20, 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Congress after the party’s Working Committee decided to continue its long-standing practice of singing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party programmes.
Calling the Congress Working Committee’s decision “anti-national”, Shah accused the party of following what he described as a policy of appeasement and linked the controversy to the Congress’s historical decision on the national song in 1937. The remarks have intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress over one of India’s most prominent patriotic songs.
Amit Shah’s Sharp Attack on Congress
Speaking on August 20, Amit Shah criticised the Congress Working Committee’s decision to stick to the two-stanza rendition. He alleged that the Congress had historically divided Vande Mataram for political reasons and claimed that its latest decision reflected the continuation of the same approach.
Shah described the move as not merely anti-national but also an example of what he alleged was appeasement-oriented politics. He argued that the decision had insulted the legacy of the song and the freedom fighters associated with India’s independence movement.
Why Is Congress Singing Only Two Stanzas?
The Congress Working Committee reaffirmed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at Congress events, maintaining a practice linked to a 1937 party decision. Congress has maintained that this is not a new policy but a historical position followed by the party for decades.
According to reports, the Congress position differs from the Centre’s current approach to the rendition of the song at designated official functions. Party leaders have defended the two-stanza practice by referring to the historical context in which the decision was originally taken.
The Historical Debate Around Vande Mataram
The controversy has once again brought the history of Vande Mataram into the centre of India’s political debate. The song played a significant role during the freedom movement and was associated with the nationalist struggle against British rule.
However, the different stanzas of the composition have long been the subject of discussion. The first two stanzas focus on the motherland, while later portions have historically generated debate over religious imagery. The Congress’s 1937 decision to use only the first two stanzas emerged from this historical context, a position the party continues to cite in defending its present stand.
BJP-Congress Political Row Escalates
Shah’s comments have added a fresh dimension to the ongoing BJP-Congress confrontation. The BJP has portrayed the Congress’s decision as disrespectful towards a symbol of India’s freedom movement and national identity.
The Congress, meanwhile, has argued that its practice has historical roots and has rejected suggestions that singing the first two stanzas amounts to disrespect for the national song. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has defended the party’s position by pointing to the historical leaders associated with the earlier decision.
What Happens Next?
The latest controversy is expected to keep Vande Mataram at the heart of the political debate, with the BJP likely to continue attacking the Congress over its two-stanza policy and the Congress defending the decision as a continuation of a long-standing historical practice.
As the war of words intensifies, the issue has once again highlighted how India’s historical symbols, freedom movement legacy and questions of national identity continue to shape contemporary political discourse.
For now, Amit Shah’s “anti-national” charge and the Congress’s decision to stand by its two-stanza tradition have created another major flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the principal opposition party.
