Police complaints were filed across several Indian cities on Sunday against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and other party figures. The move follows a heated controversy regarding the protocol observed during the singing of 'Vande Mataram' at the Congress headquarters on Independence Day. From Bengaluru to New Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its youth wing have stepped up their pressure, demanding a public apology for what they describe as an insult to a national symbol.

Legal challenges and protocol claims

In Bengaluru, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) submitted a formal complaint at the Malleshwaram police station, specifically targeting Sonia Gandhi’s conduct during the ceremony. The youth wing alleges that Gandhi "displayed disrespect towards it and deliberately tried to interrupt it" while the song was being presented. They have called for action under Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, a law passed just last month that treats the national song with the same legal weight as the national anthem.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, were "casually talking" while the music played. Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon added that the conduct was a slight to those who fought for freedom, stating, "This is an insult. 'Vande Mataram' is dedicated to the martyrs; anyone who insults this national song insults all the martyrs".

Nationwide protests and demands for apology

The legal filings were accompanied by a wave of street demonstrations. In Mumbai, protesters gathered outside the Santacruz Railway Station to voice their anger. Virendra Mhatre, a local BJP leader, questioned the leadership of the Congress party during the event: "Vande Mataram lasts only three minutes and ten seconds; if Congress leaders claim they can provide leadership to the country yet cannot stand still for just three minutes and ten seconds for Vande Mataram... We have gathered today to condemn this attitude".

Similar scenes played out in West Bengal and Gujarat. In Siliguri, BJYM workers held a "Mashal Julush" or torch rally, while in Surat, a candle march was organised in front of the local Congress office. Dheeraj Muniraju, the Yuva Morcha state president, warned that "their protest would continue until they do so," referring to a demand for a formal apology to the nation.

The Congress response and calls for evidence

The Congress party has dismissed the allegations as baseless, asserting that the rendition was completed without interruption. According to party officials, Sonia Gandhi was not attempting to stop the song but was merely "asking for a chair for party chief Mallikarjun Kharge as he was standing for a while". They maintained that her actions "had nothing to do with opposing the National Song" and were focused on ensuring proper arrangements for the elderly party chief.

Adding a different perspective, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor noted that the video he viewed showed the song being "sung in full". He suggested that if a law was truly broken, the government should use its powers to investigate rather than just issuing political statements, saying, "If the Congress people have really made a mistake, then the government has now made a law... So instead of issuing statements, the BJP should file a case". Meanwhile, the police in Mangaluru have stated they are seeking legal advice before deciding whether to file a formal First Information Report (FIR)