Politics
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Kharge challenges government over Vande Mataram law
The News Minute··19 Aug
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on 18 August 2026 that if singing the two-stanza Vande Mataram used by his party is an offence, the government should file a case against Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel. He spoke in Goa ahead of a Working Committee meeting. The party said it will keep the shorter version at its events.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you attend a Congress programme, the party has said it will continue to sing only the first two stanzas, including at State units such as Karnataka.
- Anyone following the new national-honour amendment can note that intentionally preventing or disrupting the song can attract up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
- If you watched the 15 August headquarters video, Congress said Sonia Gandhi was asking for a chair for Kharge, while BJP leaders said the gestures sought to stop the song.
What's Happening
- Kharge spoke to reporters in Goa on 18 August after a two-stanza rendition at a Pradesh Congress event.
- He said he had sung the version associated with Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- The CWC was due to meet on 19 August, with the song row likely to be discussed even if not on the printed agenda.
How The Six-Stanza Rule Entered The Dispute
- A Union home ministry notification in February 2026 listed all six stanzas as the official version for the song's 150th year.
- BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said the six-stanza form was part of the freedom struggle until it was later curtailed.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin demanded an apology after the Independence Day programme at the Congress office.
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