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3 things that are wrong with BJP’s Vande Mataram politics

In Modi-Shah’s rejection of the two-stanza version also lies the suggestion that they are bigger nationalists and patriots than Gandhi, Tagore, Bose, Patel and Nehru.

The BJP has put the Congress on the spot over nationalism again. Or so goes the chatter in political circles. See how the principal opposition party has dug itself into a hole over Vande Mataram, our national song.

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan did away with the national song at the official flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day. His counterparts—DK Shivakumar, Revanth Reddy and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu—in three other Congress-ruled states chose to comply with Amit Shah-led Home Ministry’s order to sing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram. 

At the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, as the singing went beyond the second stanza, there were red faces all around. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were visibly dismayed. And, no, Sonia wasn’t asking for a chair for Kharge. Everybody saw what was happening. The Congress was at sixes and sevens about the six-stanza national song. The Gandhis should sack the general secretary (organisation), KC Venugopal, for making a joke of the party on such a sensitive issue.

The BJP loved it. When it comes to issues related to nationalism or religion, trust the Congress to dig a hole for itself. And here was a blend of both. When the Congress Working Committee (CWC) later decided to stick to the original two-stanza Vande Mataram, the BJP doubled down. It accused the Opposition party of minority appeasement because there are references to Hindu goddesses—Durga, Kamala (Lakshmi) and Vanee (Saraswati)—in the fifth stanza.

On Saturday, when newly appointed office-bearers met at the BJP headquarters, cameras were in place for the six-stanza national song. Most of the leaders were just lip-syncing. Questioning others’ nationalism is easier; memorising six........

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