Panaji, August 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday defended the rendition of Vande Mataram at the party headquarters and questioned the complaint filed against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, saying that if singing the national song in its earlier version amounted to a crime, cases should also be registered against leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The controversy followed the Independence Day celebrations at Congress headquarters, Indira Bhavan, on Saturday, where the full version of Vande Mataram was reportedly sung despite the party’s stated position that only its first two stanzas should be rendered.
Kharge had unfurled the Tricolour at the event before the rendition began. Sonia Gandhi was reportedly the first to notice that the singers had continued beyond the first two stanzas. She allegedly gestured towards Kharge and later appeared to ask the singers to stop.
A complaint was filed with the Delhi Police on Monday against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, seeking registration of an FIR over an alleged attempt to disrupt the singing of Vande Mataram during the celebrations.
Responding to the issue, Kharge said Congress had sung the same version associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru and noted that similar renditions had also taken place during the tenure of Vajpayee.
“We sang the same Vande Mataram that Mahatma Gandhi sang. We sang what Jawaharlal Nehru sang,” Kharge said. Referring to the alleged offence, he added, “If this is a crime, then they have been committing this crime for 18 years. If this is the same crime, then file a case against Mahatma Gandhi. If this is the same crime, file a case against Nehru.”
Kharge said the Congress had adopted a resolution on national songs at a time when many of its current critics had not yet been born. He also questioned whether decisions taken by one government should automatically determine the position of future governments.
On funding, Kharge opposed stopping financial assistance to educational societies and other institutions, saying that any mistakes should instead be corrected. He also alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) receives the highest level of funding.
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