Vande Mataram row escalates: Amit Shah demands apology, Congress hits back

The Vande Mataram controversy has escalated into a political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with Amit Shah demanding an apology from Sonia Gandhi, BJP workers staging protests and complaints being filed, while Congress has denied allegations that she objected to the full rendition of the national song.

What sparked the controversy?

The row began after a video from an Independence Day event at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi was shared by BJP leaders.

The BJP alleged that Sonia Gandhi had objected to the singing of the complete version of Vande Mataram. Congress rejected the allegation, saying Sonia was asking for a chair for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing for some time.

The dispute comes days after Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The legislation gives Vande Mataram a status on par with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, and makes an insult to the national song punishable.

Amit Shah attacks Sonia Gandhi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised Sonia Gandhi while addressing an event in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.

Shah referred to the role of Vande Mataram in India's freedom struggle and said people had faced bullets, lathis and imprisonment for singing it.

He accused Congress of forgetting the song because of what he described as vote-bank politics and called on Sonia Gandhi to apologise to the people and to the legacy of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who wrote Vande Mataram.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also attacked Congress over the controversy, alleging that opposition to the song reflected an ideological mindset.

Congress hits back

Congress strongly rejected the BJP's allegations against Sonia Gandhi.

Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh responded by attacking Amit Shah over his remarks on BR Ambedkar and raised questions about the BJP's historical relationship with the national flag.

Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also defended the party's association with Vande Mataram, saying Congress had used the song during the freedom struggle.

The party maintained that there was no attempt to interrupt the rendition at its Independence Day event.

Complaints filed against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi

The political dispute has also moved into the legal arena.

A complaint was filed with Delhi Police seeking an FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over alleged obstruction during the singing of Vande Mataram.

The complainant alleged that Sonia made gestures after the initial portion of the song had been sung, which was interpreted as opposition to its continuation. The complaint also referred to a video in which Rahul Gandhi was allegedly heard saying, “We are not singing Vande Mataram.”

In Bengaluru, the BJP Yuva Morcha filed a complaint at the Malleshwaram police station and sought legal action.

BJP protests across states

The BJP also organised protests in several parts of the country.

Protests were held outside the Congress office in Srinagar, while the BJP's West Bengal unit organised rallies in Kolkata and Siliguri.

In Manipur, BJP workers gathered outside the Congress Bhavan carrying the national flag and posters of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and played Vande Mataram through loudspeakers.

Bankim Chandra's descendant seeks apology

BJP MLA Sumitro Chatterjee, described as a fifth-generation direct descendant of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, also sought an unconditional apology from Sonia Gandhi.

In a letter to Sonia, Chatterjee said the controversy had hurt sentiments in West Bengal, where Bankim Chandra is widely revered.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also criticised Congress and said an alleged insult to Vande Mataram amounted to an insult to Bankim Chandra.

Why the controversy matters

The dispute has emerged shortly after Parliament passed legislation giving Vande Mataram legal protection alongside the national anthem. This has given the political argument a new legal and political dimension.

However, the central allegation against Sonia Gandhi remains disputed. BJP leaders have interpreted the video as evidence that she objected to the full song, while Congress says her gesture was related to arranging a chair for Kharge and denies any attempt to stop the rendition.

The complaints filed with police will now place the allegations within a legal process, while the political parties continue to trade accusations over the incident.

Analysis

The controversy combines three issues: the political symbolism of Vande Mataram, the recently passed national-honour legislation and the increasingly confrontational BJP-Congress debate.

The BJP is framing the incident around respect for a song associated with India's freedom struggle, while Congress is challenging the interpretation of the video and turning the focus towards the BJP's own historical record and political conduct.

The timing is significant because the Parliament-approved amendment has elevated the legal and political importance of Vande Mataram. Whether any specific conduct amounts to an offence under the new law, however, would depend on the facts established and the applicable legal provisions.

For now, the controversy remains centred on competing interpretations of what happened during the Congress event. The police complaints and any subsequent investigation will determine whether the allegations result in legal proceedings.