New Delhi, Sep 09 (KNO): The Congress on Wednesday appealed to its allies to support its position of singing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, after the full version of the national song was played at an event attended by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father Dr Farooq Abdullah.
Congress General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said the party's position was based on the decision taken by the Congress in 1937 to adopt only the first two stanzas of the song, which he said was aimed at preserving communal harmony.
Notably, the remarks came after all six stanzas of Vande Mataram were played at an event attended by the two senior National Conference leaders. The NC is an ally of the Congress.
"For us, the considered judgment of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Acharya Narendra Dev, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu and J B Kripalani -- shaped in no small part by the counsel of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore -- remains paramount," Venugopal said in a post on X.
He said the Congress believed the shorter version adopted by the freedom movement was more consistent with India's pluralistic character.
The Congress leader urged its allies to follow the version of the song that was adopted by the party during the freedom struggle.
The issue has acquired political significance after the BJP-led Centre enacted the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, giving Vande Mataram statutory protection similar to that accorded to the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
Under the amended law, the full version of Vande Mataram is required to be sung at official events. Violations involving insult to the song can attract imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.
The full version of Vande Mataram was played at the official Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort on August 15, before and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.
The BJP has criticised the Congress over its continued preference for the two-stanza version, accusing it of minority appeasement.
The Congress, however, has maintained that its position is rooted in the 1937 resolution and the historical circumstances surrounding the adoption of the shorter version—(KNO)