Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 9 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur on Wednesday hit out at the Congress over the ongoing row surrounding the rendition of Vande Mataram at the International Film Festival in Srinagar, accusing the party of being “opposed” to the national song and questioning its criticism of those who stood through its full rendition.
“The Congress has always been opposed to Vande Mataram; in fact, they were the ones who had certain verses excised because they could not stomach the song,” Thakur said.
He alleged that the Congress ideology had remained “anti-national” and accused the party of being opposed to the spirit with which freedom fighters fought for India's independence.
“Congress' ideology has always been anti-national, opposed to the spirit with which freedom fighters fought for our independence. Being people of a foreign mindset, whether it is Sonia Gandhi or her son, they still try to disparage or humiliate India on various forums; that remains the Congress mindset today,” he said.
“There is no justification for attacking Farooq Abdullah or others who stood up out of respect for Vande Mataram,” Thakur added.
He further accused the Congress of siding with Pakistan and China, saying, “They (Congress) side with Pakistan and China, and their conspiracies against India have continued unabated.”
“However, every Indian who believes in India's Constitution and democracy stands up to respect and honour Vande Mataram,” he added.
Thakur's remarks came amid a political row over the rendition of Vande Mataram, after Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the full version of the song “sits uneasily” with the syncretic and pluralist ethos envisioned by India's freedom fighters.
Venugopal urged Congress allies to respect the version of the national song adopted by the party in 1937 and said the decision to use only the first two stanzas at official party programmes was taken to prevent the song from being “communalised”.
His remarks came after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah stood through the full rendition of Vande Mataram at the inaugural International Film Festival in Srinagar.
The Abdullahs stood through all six stanzas of the song, highlighting differences within the INDIA bloc over the issue.
Venugopal said the Congress considered the judgment of leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sarojini Naidu, among others, as paramount in deciding the version to be adopted.
The Congress leader said the version adopted in 1937 was chosen deliberately to keep the song from being communalised and argued that upholding it was a way of preserving the “secular, inclusive character” of the Republic.
On the Vande Mataram row during the International Film Festival, Maharashtra Minister Shivendraraje Bhonsle said, "There is nothing in Vande Mataram that warrants opposition; if the Congress party is determined to oppose it solely for political reasons, then they could oppose anything—tomorrow they might even object to the National Anthem. If the intent is purely political opposition, they can find fault with anything. Since CM Omar Abdullah himself sang it, the Congress party should realise that a shift towards patriotism has taken hold among people across the country, and opposing this will yield them no political gain..."
The issue has also drawn criticism from the BJP, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier attacking the Congress over its adherence to the 1937 position and accusing the party of pursuing appeasement politics. (ANI)
"They have always opposed Vande Mataram": BJP's Altaf Thakur slams Congress' objection to full rendition of national song at J-K International Film Festival
