New Delhi, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A political controversy erupted on Friday over visuals from the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, where senior party leaders were seen interacting while the national song Vande Mataram was being rendered during the party’s Independence Day celebrations.
The BJP accused the Congress leadership of disrespecting the national song and demanded an apology, while the Congress rejected the charge and said there was no attempt to interrupt the rendition.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey shared a video on X and claimed it showed a conversation involving Congress leaders over the rendition of Vande Mataram. The audiovisual content and its authenticity have not been independently verified by IANS.
The video, purportedly recorded at Indira Bhawan, shows Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Sonia Gandhi gesturing and speaking to each other while Vande Mataram was being sung. They are also seen calling a party member and appearing to give instructions.
English subtitles accompanying the video attribute remarks to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, including: “We need not sing. We need not sing Vande Mataram. It’s our version of Vande Mataram.” The subtitles later attribute to him the remark, “Hum yahan pe apna gana ga rahe hain” (We are singing our own song here).
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi described the episode as an insult to the national song and called for an apology from the Congress.
Trivedi also highlighted the historical significance of Vande Mataram, noting that the first Constituent Assembly of independent India began its proceedings on the intervening night of August 14 and 15, 1947, with its rendition, as the national anthem had not yet been adopted.
He alleged that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were inattentive and engaged in conversation while the song was being sung, calling it “utter disrespect” towards Vande Mataram.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, however, rejected the allegations and clarified that there had been “no attempt” to stop the national song from being rendered.
The controversy has since triggered a fresh political confrontation, with the BJP accusing the Congress of showing disregard for national symbols and the Congress dismissing the allegations as politically motivated. The complete context of the conversation seen in the video remains under discussion.
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