NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah amid the ongoing controversy over the recitation of the national song “Vande Mataram”, challenging them to come forward and sing its full version without using a teleprompter.Addressing a press conference, Raut also criticised the Centre over inflation and the economic difficulties faced by ordinary citizens, questioning what had become cheaper during PM Modi’s 12 years in office.“First, ask Modi ji to come forward and sing it (the national song) in its entirety. Without looking at the teleprompter. Get Jay Shah to come forward and tell him to sing. Then Modi ji will sing, then Amit Shah will sing. Then Jitan Ram Manjhi will sing. Whose name should I take? Come to August Kranti Maidan. We will give you a stage. But there won’t be a teleprompter,” Raut said, according to news agency ANI.
Raut attacks Centre over inflation, economic hardship
Raut then turned his criticism to the government’s economic record, saying ordinary citizens should be consulted about their problems.“In these 12 years, what has become cheaper? It has been 12 years under Modi ji. What has become cheaper? Death has become cheap. Accidents have become cheap. Suicides have become cheap. Nothing else has. Regarding sugarcane used for making sugar, the entire supply is now being diverted towards ethanol production,” he said.Raut also urged the government to engage directly with families rather than limiting its interaction with young people to universities.“You told your ministers to go to universities and have a ‘dialogue’ with GenZ. Go to those children’s homes, into their kitchens, and have a dialogue with their mothers and fathers,” he said.His remarks came amid a political dispute over the BJP’s opposition to the Congress Working Committee’s decision to restrict the singing of “Vande Mataram” to its first two stanzas at Congress programmes.
BJP opposes Congress decision on two stanzas
The BJP recently passed a resolution condemning the CWC’s August 19 decision to re-adopt its 1937 resolution on the recitation of “Vande Mataram”.The BJP said it considers “Vande Mataram” India’s national song, an expression of reverence for Bharat Mata, a mantra of the freedom struggle and an enduring symbol of India’s national consciousness.The party said it would oppose the Congress decision and seek to protect the full six-stanza version of the national song. It also announced a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the history and significance of “Vande Mataram”, including a special drive among young people.Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the BJP had passed the resolution under the leadership of national president Nitin Nabin to uphold the “honour, dignity and complete legacy” of the national song.“Vande Mataram, in its complete form, is an immortal symbol of our freedom struggle and Bharat’s national consciousness. Its honour and legacy can never be compromised for political convenience or appeasement,” Rijiju said.The BJP also said its workers would take the history, meaning and national importance of “Vande Mataram” across the country.
Congress, BJP trade charges over Vande Mataram
The BJP’s resolution has drawn criticism from Congress leaders, who have accused the ruling party of politicising the national song.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of branding those who do not sing “Vande Mataram” as traitors and criticised the BJP’s position on the freedom struggle.Congress leader Nana Patole said the government was using nationalism to divert attention from other issues, while Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan accused the BJP of politicising patriotism and “Vande Mataram”.Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also said the government should focus on unemployment, inflation and other issues affecting citizens.“There are so many issues facing the nation, yet you want to keep the ‘Vande Mataram’ issue at the forefront because you believe it will yield political gain. If you go to the public and talk about ‘Vande Mataram’ while ordinary citizens are grappling with the burden of inflation, they will tell you to focus on their priorities and discuss those instead,” Chaturvedi said.Meanwhile, Congress leader Rakesh Sinha criticised the BJP’s resolution, saying it was contrary to the legacy of national leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Rabindranath Tagore.“It is an opposition to the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Rabindranath Tagore. It appears that the followers of Godse are once again trying to oppose these national leaders over Vande Mataram. These are people who apologised to the British and received pensions from them,” Sinha said..
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BJP leaders, meanwhile, have defended the resolution. Union minister Ramdas Athawale said “Vande Mataram” played an important role in India’s freedom struggle, while Union minister Giriraj Singh alleged that the song was altered in 1937 for political considerations.The Congress Working Committee had earlier decided that only the first two stanzas of “Vande Mataram” would be sung at party events, citing its 1937 resolution.Congress MP KC Venugopal said the party would follow the decisions taken by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1937.
