Shashi Tharoor questioned proposals to mandate the full recitation of “Vande Mataram” at public events.
He called the requirement “unnecessary and burdensome” while stressing respect for the national song.
The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised the remarks and accused Congress of appeasement politics.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday questioned the need to recite all five verses of the Vande Mataram at every public event calling the requirement as “unnecessary and burdensome” for audiences.
Tharoor said that the respect for the national song should not be conflated with mandating its full recitation at every function.
The remarks come amid a wider debate over demands that the complete version of the national song be sung at official functions. Speaking to reporters Tharoor said that while the national song is widely respected, mandating its recitation at all official events is unjustifiable.
“Vande Mataram is the national song and we stand up in respect when it is sung. The first verse, or the first couple of verses, is something most people know by heart,” he said.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP noted that according to convention, the national song was sung at the start of events while the national anthem was to be played at the end.
“Now they want all five verses to be sung at the beginning of every event and again at the end. I think that is an unnecessary imposition,” Tharoor added.
BJP Criticises Remarks
Referring to Tharoor’s remarks the BJP alleged that the party had once again “capitulated” to the Muslim League, an ally in the ruling UDF coalition in Kerala.
"Once again, the Congress party has shown that it is against national honour. It has opposed the full rendition of Vande Mataram. Shashi Tharoor says it is an unnecessary imposition to sing all the stanzas.” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a video posted on X.
He said that the Congress in the past had yielded under pressure from sections opposed to the song and was continuing to do the same under pressure from the Muslim League in Kerala.
"Mr Nehru did it under pressure from Jinnah. At that time, he capitulated by saying that Muslims would be irritated. Today, Congress is once again capitulating under pressure from the Muslim League mindset. The same Muslim League is now in government with them," he said.
Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, also slammed Tharoor.
"Vande Mataram is India's national song -- not a political choice, not 'optional'. If states start selectively ignoring national protocols for political appeasement, the idea of national unity itself gets weakened," he said in a post on X.
"The problem is not with Vande Mataram. The problem is with those who are uncomfortable saying it," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
