Sambit Patra says Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi skipped Vande Mataram debate 'out of guilt'

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday offered a brief four-word reaction to the ongoing Lok Sabha debate on the national song Vande Mataram: "Priyanka ka bhashan suno". His remark came as Parliament marked 150 years of the iconic song and revisited the political storm around its historical treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the debate by highlighting the legacy of Vande Mataram. He traced its roots to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, stressing that the song had once united Indians against colonial rule. Modi also revived his recent charge that the Congress had removed key stanzas of the song during its 1937 Faizabad session and that this decision "sowed the seeds of Partition" and "dissected the national song into pieces".

The Congress countered that claim, insisting the decision had come after Rabindranath Tagore's advice and was meant to respect the sentiments of all communities. The party also sought an apology from the BJP for what it called an attempt to "insult" the Congress Working Committee of 1937 and Tagore.

The confrontation comes shortly after another flashpoint: the Rajya Sabha Secretariat’s reminder that MPs should avoid slogans like Vande Mataram and Jai Hind inside Parliament to maintain decorum. The Opposition accused the government of being uneasy with symbols of India's freedom movement.

During the debate, Modi reflected at length on the song’s impact. He said Vande Mataram was "not just a mantra for political freedom; it was a sacred war cry to rid Bharatmata of colonialism". He recalled how it had inspired unity during the 1905 partition of Bengal and argued that the 100-year milestone of the song in 1975 had been overshadowed by the Emergency, which he described as "a dark chapter".

BJP Attacks

BJP MP Sambit Patra sharpened the attack, saying the Prime Minister had "exposed the Congress party's betrayal" of Vande Mataram. Patra questioned why Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were not present during the debate, claiming they carried a "sense of guilt" over the party’s historical position.

Modi also accused the Congress of repeatedly undermining the national song and "surrendering before the Muslim League". He referred to a letter in which Jawaharlal Nehru had reportedly told Subhas Chandra Bose that Vande Mataram could "incite Muslims", calling it a moment that "sabotaged" the song.

The Prime Minister described Vande Mataram as a force that united India’s independence struggle and said the government intends to restore its full glory as it completes 150 years.

Broadcasting Advisor Kanchan Gupta expressed strong criticism of X, targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his absence from the Lok Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’.

In his post, Gupta referred to Gandhi’s absence as “a matter of abiding national shame.” He emphasised that the Congress leader was missing at a crucial moment when the Prime Minister was initiating an important debate on a national symbol.

“It is a matter of abiding national shame that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was absent from the Lok Sabha while Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about ‘Vande Mataram.’ He is still missing, as is Priyanka Gandhi,” Gupta wrote.

He accused Gandhi of evading his responsibilities, stating that he had “left it to Gaurav Gogoi to do his job,” despite holding a constitutional position.

*With ANI inputs