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Congress, TMC Press PM Over Vande Mataram Row During 150th-Year Commemoration

Opposition leaders say Modi misrepresented the 1937 Congress decision shaped with Tagore’s counsel, prompting demands for an apology.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7 launched a year-long Vande Mataram commemoration and released a commemorative stamp and coin.
  • Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited the 1937 CWC statement and Tagore’s advice limiting public renditions to the first two stanzas, accusing the PM of insulting both and seeking an apology.
  • Karnataka BJP MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri’s comment that Jana Gana Mana was a welcome song for the British drew backlash; the TMC protested in Kolkata and said the BJP has not taken disciplinary action, while reports note Kageri later retracted the claim.
  • Indian diplomatic missions hosted mass renditions overseas, with events in Chile, Canada, Argentina, Peru and a launch by MoS Pabitra Margherita at the embassy in Bolivia.
  • Mass singings were held across India, including coordinated renditions by railway zones, as the dispute increasingly intersects with political positioning in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.