Vande Mataram Row: HD Kumaraswamy Says Congress Should Rise Above Political Differences

Hassan, August 18, 2026; Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday criticised the Congress over the controversy surrounding the rendition of Vande Mataram at the party’s Independence Day programme, urging political leaders to show greater respect for the national song.

Kumaraswamy said national symbols should remain above political disagreements and maintained that Vande Mataram deserves respect at official programmes as well as political events. He accused Congress leaders of adopting an unnecessarily narrow approach to the issue.

The Union Minister also referred to the historical association of Vande Mataram with the Congress, saying the song had been publicly embraced by the party during the freedom movement. He urged Congress leaders not to turn the matter into a political dispute.

The controversy followed the circulation of visuals from the Congress headquarters during an Independence Day function, in which senior party leaders were seen interacting while Vande Mataram was being performed. BJP leaders subsequently alleged that the conduct showed disrespect towards the National Song.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier criticised the Congress over the incident, alleging that the rendition was interrupted. He questioned the decision to stop the song before its complete rendition and said such conduct would be viewed seriously by the public.

BJP leaders, including MP Bhola Singh and party leader Amit Malviya, also targeted the Congress over the episode. They alleged that senior Congress leaders were responsible for bringing the rendition to an end during the programme.

BJP leader Guru Prakash separately called for political parties to put aside partisan differences when dealing with national symbols, saying issues concerning the country’s dignity and sovereignty should command collective respect.

The Congress, however, rejected the allegations against its leaders. The party maintained that the actions of Sonia Gandhi during the programme were related to event arrangements and were not intended to interfere with Vande Mataram.

The dispute has since developed into a wider political confrontation, with the BJP accusing the Congress of disrespecting a national symbol and the Congress denying that its leaders acted improperly during the Independence Day programme.