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BJP Protests Nationwide Over Alleged Vande Mataram Insult by Congress Leaders
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News18•16-08-2026, 23:16
BJP Protests Nationwide Over Alleged Vande Mataram Insult by Congress Leaders
- •BJP workers staged protests across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
- •Protesters demanded an apology from the Congress party, chanting slogans like “Vande Mataram ka apmaan, nahi sahega Hindustan” (India won’t tolerate insult of Vande Mataram).
- •Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Bhagirath Chowdhary, along with other BJP leaders, joined the protests, condemning the alleged disrespect to the national song.
- •The controversy arose from a video purportedly showing Sonia Gandhi objecting to the full rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ during a Congress Independence Day event.
- •The Congress clarified that Sonia Gandhi's actions were to arrange a chair for Mallikarjun Kharge and not an insult to the national song, while Parliament recently passed a bill making insult to Vande Mataram a punishable offense.
Key Questions Answered
Insulting Vande Mataram can now lead to a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both. This is due to the Rajya Sabha passing the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which grants Vande Mataram the same legal protection as the national anthem.
The Congress party has stated that no attempt was made to prevent the singing of "Vande Mataram". They have rejected the allegations made by the BJP, claiming that the entire song was sung during the event and that the BJP is politicising the issue. Congress leaders have also clarified that any gestures seen in videos were administrative actions, such as arranging a chair for Mallikarjun Kharge.
