BJP Accuses Congress of Insulting Vande Mataram; Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge Face Complaints
On August 16, 2026, Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, accused the Congress of insulting the National Song Vande Mataram during Independence Day celebrations at the All India Congress Committee headquarters. He demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The controversy arose after Ms. Gandhi gestured towards Mr. Kharge while the song was being sung, allegedly asking him to stop it midway. In response, Congress leaders strongly rebutted these claims, asserting their respect for Vande Mataram and accusing the BJP of creating a political controversy to divert attention from other issues. BJP lodged formal complaints against Ms. Gandhi in Karnataka and New Delhi police stations over the incident. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, passed recently, makes attempts to stop or prevent the singing or playing of Vande Mataram an offence.
18 AUG 2026
— NDTV
Mallikarjun Kharge criticized Amit Shah's claims of Congress's lack of patriotism, reminding him of Shah's childhood when Kharge first became an MLA.
— The Hindu
The BJP accused the Congress of disrespecting the national anthem, Vande Mataram, at its Delhi headquarters on Independence Day.
19 AUG 2026
— NDTV
The Congress revised its performance of Vande Mataram, singing only the first two stanzas, prompting the BJP to criticize the decision as an insult to the national song.
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