PM Modi criticised Congress and Rahul Gandhi for skipping the Lok Sabha debate on Vande Mataram.
Sambit Patra said Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi stayed away due to a “sense of guilt”.
Modi alleged Congress historically “compromised” on Vande Mataram and “surrendered” before the Muslim League.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sharp criticism of the Congress over its approach to Vande Mataram triggered a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha on Monday, as BJP MP Sambit Patra claimed that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra skipped the discussion because they carried a “sense of guilt” over the party’s past positions. According to ANI, the remarks came during an extended debate on the national song in the ongoing Winter Session.
Patra said the Prime Minister had “exposed the Congress party’s betrayal” of Vande Mataram in his speech, and argued that the absence of senior Congress leaders underlined the party’s discomfort. “PM Modi in his speech today exposed Congress' betrayal of 'Vande Mataram'... At the time when such an important debate on Vande Mataram was taking place in the Parliament, both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were not present in the House because of the sense of guilt they had in their hearts due to the betrayal committed with Vande Mataram. They knew they would not be able to take it,” he said, as reported by ANI.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister criticised the Congress for what he described as a sustained disregard for the national song. Addressing the Lok Sabha during the sixth day of the Winter Session, he noted that the Leader of the Opposition was absent during the discussion. “Serious discussion is going on in Parliament, but LoP Rahul Gandhi is not present in the House. First Nehru, now Rahul Gandhi, has shown disregard to Vande Mataram,” he said, according to ANI.
PM Modi also accused the Congress of having “compromised on Vande Mataram and surrendered before the Muslim League,” and recalled a historical exchange to support his claim. “Congress still insults Vande Mataram. Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and surrendered before the Muslim League. Nehru did a 'tukde-tukde' of Vande Mataram,” he said. Referring to a letter, he added, “Nehru had written to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that Vande Mataram could incite Muslims. There was a betrayal of Vande Mataram; the national song was sabotaged.”
Marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, PM Modi described it as a “powerful mantra” for the freedom movement and said the government intends to “restore its glory for future generations.”
(With inputs from ANI)
