The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has condemned the Congress Party's proposal to sing the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram', saying it will oppose any attempt to subordinate the national anthem to communal pressure, political motivation or narrow-minded vote bank politics. The BJP has said that no proposal of any party can be above a constitutional decision or an Act of Parliament.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin said in a statement on Saturday that the party "adopted an important resolution today on August 22, 2026 respecting Vande Mataram and safeguarding its historical legacy." He said that his party strongly condemns and categorically opposes the decision of the Congress Working Committee on August 19, 2026, in which the main opposition party has re-approved the proposal of the Congress Working Committee in 1937 to limit its programs to only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram'. It is the mantra of freedom and the indelible symbol of India's national consciousness." To this end, the BJP has made a 10-point pledge which states that the BJP will strongly condemn and categorically oppose the decision by the Congress Working Committee on August 19, 2026 to restrict the Vande Mataram to the first two stanzas, repeating the 1937 pattern. The BJP will protect the respect, dignity, legacy and national status of the complete Vande Mataram, treating it as the national anthem of India, an eternal symbol of national consciousness and a glorious legacy of the freedom struggle.
He said the party would strongly uphold the status quo established by the declaration of the Constituent Assembly in 1950 and the granting of equal legal protection to the national anthem by Parliament in 2026. The BJP will oppose any attempt to subjugate the national anthem to communal pressure, political gratification or narrow-minded vote bank politics. The party will remind the Congress that no proposal of its working committee can override the constitutional institutions of India and laws made by Parliament. The political compromise of 1937 cannot be placed above the constitutional decision of 1950 and the law made by Parliament in 2026.
The BJP has also vowed to highlight to the public the historical and political background in which the singing of Vande Mataram was restricted, including the objections of the Muslim League and the subsequent politics of rising communal and separatist demands. The party will bring to the public the historic speech of Mahatma Gandhi, in which he described Vande Mataram as an "anti-imperialist slogan" and associated with the "purest national spirit". BJP will launch a nationwide campaign through workers, under which the history, meaning, national significance and glorious legacy of Vande Mataram will be conveyed to every corner of India.
An awareness campaign will be conducted by the party, especially among the new generation, so that the full six-stanza national anthem and its history are not forgotten and future generations can understand how deep memories of India's independence, struggle, sacrifice and national awakening are connected with Vande Mataram. The BJP says that no compromise with the respect and legacy of Vande Mataram will be accepted for political convenience or gratification. It is a question of respect for India and the legacy of the countless patriots, who sacrificed everything for the freedom of the country. The party appeals to the patriots to remember - the words of Vande Mataram were once so powerful that an empire stood in awe of them. The British tried to suppress them because these words had awakened the consciousness of resistance. Generation after generation Indians adopted them as mantras of freedom, sacrifice and national pride.
Mr. Nabeen has said that this legacy cannot be limited in the calculus of today's vote bank politics. The slogan of India's independence in 1947 was 'Vande Mataram', and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the great slogan of 'Vakshat Bharat' in 2047 will also be 'Vande Mataram'.