A sharp political confrontation unfolded in the Lok Sabha on 8 December as an intense debate over Vande Mataram saw the Congress accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning the national song into a political tool while ignoring issues affecting ordinary citizens.
Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, led the criticism, alleging that the government repeatedly invoked historical figures to deflect attention from present-day challenges. He said the Prime Minister had made it “routine” to refer to Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress in key parliamentary debates, including those on Operation Sindoor, the 75th year of the Constitution, and previous Presidential addresses. Gogoi added that despite these attempts, “No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to put even a single black mark on Pandit Nehru ji’s contributions.”
Raising concerns over national security and environmental distress, Gogoi accused the government of remaining silent on critical incidents. He pointed out that there was “no mention” of the recent blast in Delhi, adding, “People of India are suffering… We are not able to protect our citizens, neither in Delhi nor in Pahalgam. People are unable to breathe.”
Prime Minister Modi, in his address earlier in the day, described Vande Mataram as a “powerful mantra” that shaped India’s freedom movement and cultural identity. He said the government aimed to revive the national song’s legacy for future generations, asserting that its significance went beyond the political realm. Modi said the refrain embodied India’s civilisational belief that “this land is my mother, and I am the son of the soil.”
He also revisited the events of the 1905 partition of Bengal, accusing the British of treating the province as a “laboratory” for their divide-and-rule strategy. He said Vande Mataram had emerged as a symbol of resistance during that period.
Linking the discussion to several national milestones, including 75 years of the Constitution and the birth anniversaries of leaders such as Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda, the Prime Minister said the country was witnessing “a historic moment” as it approached 150 years of Vande Mataram.
