Kharge Vs Amit Shah: From 1937 To Emergency- Vande Mataram Sparks A Firestorm

A fierce political confrontation erupted as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Home Minister Amit Shah clashed over the legacy of Vande Mataram, Nehruji, and patriotism. Responding to the Prime Minister’s claim that Nehru restricted the national song to two stanzas in 1937, Kharge accused the BJP of “twisting history,” questioning, “Where was your patriotism when Shyama Prasad Mookherjee formed a government with the Muslim League in Bengal?” Kharge further alleged that the RSS “worked for the British,” and said the BJP should “read its own history” before questioning Congress. Amit Shah countered with a sharp timeline-based attack, arguing that limiting Vande Mataram marked the beginning of Congress’s “appeasement,” which he claimed ultimately contributed to Partition. He added that during the song’s 100th anniversary, the Emergency silenced those who chanted it. Shah also criticised the Opposition for politicising Vande Mataram, saying its spirit belonged to freedom fighters, soldiers, and the nation not electoral battles.