Congress likely to field Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka during Vande Mataram debate in Lok Sabha

Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deepender Hooda and A Bimol Akoijam are likely to be among the party’s speakers during the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday, party sources said.

The party is also likely to field Praniti Shinde, Prashant Padole, Chamala Reddy and Jyotsana Mahant during the debate, they said on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha on December 8 while Home Minister Amit Shah will begin the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on December 9.

According to sources, Prime Minister Modi will initiate the debate on the national song at noon in the Lower House while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several other ministers will also participate in the day-long debate. The last speaker in the Lok Sabha debate will be someone from the ruling BJP, they said.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Modi on October 1, approved nationwide celebrations to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram, recognising its historic role in India’s freedom struggle. The celebrations are aimed especially at youth and students to deepen awareness of the song’s significance through country-wide initiatives. Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was first included in his novel Anandamath and later became a rallying cry during India’s freedom movement.