NEW DELHI
A political storm erupted after senior Congress leaders were seen talking while the national song played during Independence Day celebrations.
The BJP strongly criticized the opposition party, accusing its top leadership of showing utter disrespect toward ‘Vande Mataram’ and demanding a formal public apology.
The controversy began after video footage from the Congress headquarters showed party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi conversing and calling an aide while the national song was being rendered.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi lashed out at the opposition, pointing out that this historic Independence Day marked the full, uncut rendition of the song. He argued that the behavior of leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge proved they have still not accepted the full version of the song, raising questions about their patriotism.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also criticized the leadership, claiming their actions reflected deep annoyance during the national tribute. The ruling party warned that failure to issue an apology would expose the opposition’s lack of true allegiance to the nation and its historic freedom struggle.
In response, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh quickly defended the party leaders. He clarified that there was absolutely no attempt to interrupt or stop the song. He explained that Kharge had been standing for a long time, prompting Sonia Gandhi to ask an aide to bring a chair for him.
The heated exchange added political tension to the national holiday. While the ruling party maintained that the incident highlighted disrespect toward national symbols, the opposition dismissed the claims as baseless criticism. Both sides locked horns over the optics of the event as the nation marked its 80th Independence Day with various political developments and high-profile celebrations across the country.
Cong clears the air
Facing heavy backlash, opposition MP Jairam Ramesh quickly stepped forward to defend his party chiefs. He explained that there was never any attempt to stop the music. Instead, he stated that leaders were simply asking staff to bring a chair for the Congress President who had been standing for a long time. As the debate continues to heat up across television channels and social media platforms, citizens watch closely to see if the political tension will ease or grow further over the coming days.
Political war of words
During the event at the opposition headquarters, key figures like Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi appeared occupied in conversation. Ruling party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the behavior, calling it shameful. He emphasized that the song holds deep historic value because early freedom fighters honored it before the national anthem was chosen. “They were casually talking and passing remarks while our sacred song played,” Trivedi told reporters. “This shows they still do not accept the full version of the song.” Another spokesperson added harsh words, questioning their true allegiance to the nation and the freedom struggle.