New Delhi, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
West Bengal BJP MLA and direct descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sumitro Chatterjee, has written to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressing “deep anguish” over what he described as an insult to Vande Mataram during the Congress’s Independence Day programme at its headquarters.
Chatterjee, who represents the Naihati Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas, sought an unconditional apology to the people of India, particularly those of West Bengal, over the alleged incident concerning the rendition of the complete version of Bankim Chandra’s iconic composition.
In his letter, Chatterjee said the incident was particularly distressing as the country marked its 80th Independence Day. He described the events at the All India Congress Committee headquarters as “not merely unfortunate, but a shameless repetition of a historical mistake”.
Chatterjee alleged that while Congress workers were singing the full version of Vande Mataram, Sonia Gandhi appeared uncomfortable and made repeated attempts to stop the rendition.
“As an ordinary Indian citizen, a patriot and, above all, a direct descendant of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s family, I am writing this letter today with deep pain, emptiness and anguish,” he wrote.
Highlighting the song’s place in India’s freedom struggle, Chatterjee cited Sri Aurobindo’s description of Vande Mataram as a “religion of patriotism” and said its message had inspired revolutionaries, including Khudiram Bose, to make the ultimate sacrifice.
He argued that any perceived intolerance towards the complete rendition of the song amounted to disrespect for the sacrifices of the freedom movement.
Chatterjee also recalled Vande Mataram’s association with the Swadeshi movement following the Partition of Bengal, citing nationalist leader Bipin Chandra Pal’s account of the song becoming a rallying cry for revolutionaries.
The BJP MLA referred to several other historical episodes associated with the composition, including Sarala Devi Chaudhurani’s rendition of the full song at the 1905 Banaras Congress session, Bal Gangadhar Tilak hearing supporters chant it during his 1909 sedition trial, and the nationalist student movement at Osmania University in 1938.
He also highlighted Rabindranath Tagore’s rendition of Vande Mataram at the 1896 Indian National Congress session in Calcutta and referred to Tagore’s description of the song’s “magical words” and their ability to transcend barriers and touch hearts.
The letter comes amid a political controversy over visuals from the Congress headquarters on Independence Day, with the BJP accusing senior Congress leaders of disrespecting the national song, while Congress has rejected any suggestion of deliberate interruption or disrespect.
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