New Delhi, August 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday passed a resolution defending the “honour, dignity and historical legacy” of Vande Mataram and condemning the Congress Working Committee’s decision to retain its practice of restricting the song’s rendition at party programmes to its first two stanzas.
The resolution was adopted at the first meeting of the BJP’s newly appointed national office-bearers at the party headquarters. It reaffirmed the BJP’s reverence for Bharat Mata and Vande Mataram, describing the National Song as an important part of India’s freedom struggle and a symbol of national consciousness.
The move came shortly after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) reaffirmed its 1937 resolution concerning the manner in which Vande Mataram is sung at Congress programmes.
In the resolution shared by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, the party said it “strongly condemns and unequivocally opposes” the CWC decision of August 19, 2026, to limit the singing of Vande Mataram at Congress programmes to its first two stanzas.
The BJP said it was committed to protecting the “honour, dignity, historical legacy and national character” of the complete composition, comprising all six stanzas, and maintained that the entire work should continue to be recognised as part of India’s national and freedom movement heritage.
The resolution also referred to what the BJP described as the established constitutional and legal position concerning Vande Mataram. It cited the Constituent Assembly’s declaration in 1950 and Parliament’s legislation in 2026, arguing that these developments placed the National Song on a footing comparable to the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
The BJP said it would oppose any attempt to subject Vande Mataram to what it termed “communal pressure, political appeasement or narrow vote-bank politics”. It also argued that resolutions adopted by the Congress Working Committee could not take precedence over India’s constitutional institutions or laws enacted by Parliament.
The party said the political understanding reached in 1937 could not be considered superior to the constitutional position established in 1950 or legislation enacted by Parliament in 2026.
The BJP announced plans to take the historical and political circumstances surrounding restrictions on Vande Mataram to the public. This, it said, would include discussion of objections raised by the Muslim League and subsequent political developments amid growing communal and separatist demands during the freedom struggle.
The resolution also cited Mahatma Gandhi’s historical remarks describing Vande Mataram as an “anti-imperialist slogan” associated with the “purest national sentiment”.
The BJP said its workers would explain the history, meaning, national significance and legacy of Vande Mataram to people across the country. A special awareness campaign among young people would also be undertaken to ensure that the complete National Song and its associated history are not forgotten.
The party said Vande Mataram carries memories of the freedom movement, the sacrifices of patriots, the awakening of national consciousness and India’s prolonged struggle against colonial rule.
“This is not merely an issue concerning any political party. It is a question of India’s honour and the legacy of countless patriots who sacrificed everything for the country’s freedom,” the resolution said.
The BJP also highlighted the song’s role in inspiring resistance against British rule, saying its words had once been powerful enough to make the colonial empire fear them and had been embraced by generations of Indians as a symbol of freedom, sacrifice and national pride.
The party said Vande Mataram was a rallying cry associated with India’s Independence in 1947 and asserted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, it would become the “great clarion call” of Viksit Bharat in 2047.
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