Vande Mataram Debate Sparks Rajya Sabha Uproar
- Rajya Sabha debate on Vande Mataram draws sharp political reactions
- Nadda cites Nehru letters and archives during Vande Mataram row
A heated debate on Vande Mataram in the Rajya Sabha led to loud protests on Thursday as Leader of the House J. P. Nadda claimed that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru changed the national song under pressure from communal groups. His remarks triggered immediate objections from Opposition members, who accused him of targeting Nehru without cause.
Nadda called Vande Mataram a mantra of unity. He recalled that Khudiram Bose’s last words were “Vande Mataram” before his execution. He argued that the song stood for sacrifice and strength. Meanwhile, he responded to criticism from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who said the debate aimed to defame Nehru. Nadda replied that the goal was not character assassination but to “set the record straight on history”.
He said leaders should take responsibility for decisions made during their tenure. He added, “When you want, it becomes the Nehruvian age. When it doesn’t suit you, you bring in Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore. If you want to take the glory, you should also take responsibility.” He stated that Nehru, as the leader of the time, bore responsibility for the decision and that Vande Mataram did not receive the respect it deserved.
Nadda also cited what he described as Nehru’s views from 1937, pointing to Nehru Archives where Nehru called the religious imagery in the song “absurd”. He also mentioned a letter to Ali Sardar Jafri in which Nehru said the song contained “too many difficult words”. Nadda further noted that Nehru said the song was “out of keeping with modern notions”. He used these remarks to argue that Nehru felt the song was not suited to modern India.
Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge challenged the claim and asked whether Nehru was Prime Minister in 1937. Nadda said Nehru was Congress president at the time. He quoted Congress Working Committee reports from October 26 to November 1, 1937. He said the committee decided that only the first two stanzas should be sung because later verses invoked Bharat Mata as Maa Durga. He stated, “It was under Nehru’s influence that these stanzas were discarded.”
Opposition members protested and accused Nadda of misleading the House. They said the debate was used to politicise history instead of honouring the unifying spirit of Vande Mataram. However, Nadda stood firm and repeated that the song symbolised unity and sacrifice.
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