New Delhi: Stepping up its attack on Narendra Modi over the Vande Mataram row, the Congress on Sunday claimed the Prime Minister has “insulted” the Congress Working Committee of 1937, which issued a statement on the song, as also Rabindranath Tagore.
The Opposition party demanded an apology from PM Modi over the issue and asserted that he should fight his political battles on current issues of daily concern.
The Congress’ attack came after the Prime Minister said on Friday that important stanzas of “Vande Mataram” were dropped in 1937, which sowed the seeds of partition, and asserted that such a “divisive mindset” is still a challenge for the country.
Modi had made the comments after inaugurating the year-long commemoration of “Vande Mataram” to mark 150 years of the national song.
Hitting out, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister insulting the Congress Working Committee and Tagore is shocking but not surprising “since the RSS had played no role in our freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi”.
In a post on X, he said: “The Congress Working Committee met in Kolkata, October 26-November 1, 1937. Those present included Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, J B Kripalani, Bhulabhai Desai, Jamnalal Bajaj, Narendra Deva, and others.”
The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Volume 66, page 46, reveals that on October 28, 1937, the CWC issued a statement on Vande Mataram, and this statement had been profoundly influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and his advice, he said on X.
“The Prime Minister has insulted this CWC as well as Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. That he should have done so is shocking but not surprising since the RSS had played no role in our freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi,” Ramesh said.
The Prime Minister should fight his current political battles on current issues that are of daily concern to crores of Indians who worry about their present and future, he said.
“His economic policies have sharpened inequalities. Unemployment has scaled new highs. Investment momentum has been lost. His foreign policy has collapsed. He stands thoroughly exposed. And all he does is abuse and defame India’s first Prime Minister (Jawaharlal Nehru),” Ramesh said.