Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the special discussion marking 150 years of the song, accusing Congress and Jawaharlal Nehru of “fragmenting” it and citing a 1937 letter to Subhas Chandra Bose that warned it could “irritate Muslims.”
- Congress countered that only the first two stanzas were adopted for official use to be inclusive, invoking Rabindranath Tagore’s advice and the 1937 Congress Working Committee decision.
- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the Opposition’s reply, arguing the ruling party is politicising the commemoration to seek advantage in West Bengal and divert attention from jobs and prices.
- Parliament earmarked 10 hours for discussions in both Houses with the NDA allotted three hours in the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha will take up the subject next with Amit Shah set to open.
- Proceedings saw sharp exchanges and slogans as Modi linked the song to British-era suppression and the Emergency, while allies and Opposition traded claims over historical memory and ownership.