Congress Clarifies Vande Mataram Incident

The complete rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ was performed at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday as India celebrated its 80th Independence Day. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi attended the event. A video from the programme was widely circulated, with some users claiming that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi appeared to signal that the patriotic song should be stopped.

The Congress rejected this interpretation and clarified that Sonia Gandhi was asking for a chair for Mallikarjun Kharge, who had remained standing after the flag-hoisting ceremony. The incident has sparked renewed political discussion, particularly amid the ongoing controversy over the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ and its complete version.