If singing Vande Mataram is a crime, file cases against Gandhi, Nehru: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the complaint against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over the rendition of Vande Mataram, saying the same version was sung by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also opposed stopping financial assistance

Panaji: Amid the ongoing controversy over the rendition of Vande Mataram at the party headquarters, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday questioned the basis of a complaint filed against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, saying that if singing the national song in its previous version was a crime, then complaints should also be filed against Mahatma Gandhi, and former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The remarks came after an alleged dramatic episode at the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhavan, on Saturday, where the full version of Vande Mataram was sung despite the party’s stated position that only its first two stanzas would be rendered.

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Kharge had unfurled the Tricolour at the party headquarters during the Independence Day celebrations, followed by a rendition of Vande Mataram. However, the singing continued through the full version of the national song despite the party’s stand to restrict the rendition to its first two stanzas.

Sonia Gandhi was reportedly the first to notice that the singers were continuing with the full version. She allegedly gestured towards Kharge and later appeared to communicate with the singers, asking them to stop.

A complaint was also filed on Monday with the Delhi Police against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, seeking registration of an FIR over an alleged attempt to disrupt the singing of Vande Mataram during the Independence Day celebrations at the Congress headquarters.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said: “Well, look, what complaint will they file? We sang the same Vande Mataram that Mahatma Gandhi sang. We sang what Jawaharlal Nehru sang. For the last 18 years, we have sung what they sang, including what their Central government under Vajpayee sang. And for 12 years, as Chief Minister, he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) also sang the same Vande Mataram that he has been singing all these years. If this is a crime, then they have been committing this crime for 18 years. If this is the same crime, then file a case against Mahatma Gandhi. If this is the same crime, file a case against Nehru, he added.

Kharge further said that the Congress had passed a resolution on national songs even before many of its current critics were born. “Whatever you say, will it only happen? In the coming years, another government will come, so whatever they will say, that will happen only?” he asked.

On the issue of funding, Kharge said that stopping financial assistance was not appropriate and stressed the need to correct mistakes rather than halt funding.

“No, look, I have promised them that there are some things we can do, while for some others, we have to take the other parties into confidence. So, we will resolve whatever we can. And definitely, particularly regarding the contribution of funds to educational societies and others, we are opposing it, and all the other parties are also opposing it. It is not good to stop the funding.” “If any mistake is there, then correct it. Keep in jail. Instead of stopping funding, if anyone is getting the most funding, then it’s only the RSS,” he alleged.