BJP chief Nabin calls Congress the ‘New Muslim League’ over party’s Vande Mataram stance

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

BJP president Nitin Nabin on Thursday (August 20, 2026) slammed the Congress over its decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram at their events, saying the opposition party has become the "new Muslim League" for votes.

Mr. Nabin, in a post on X in Hindi, said, "This insult to the sacred invocation of 'Bharat Mata' is a disdain for those thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation, keeping this very song in their consciousness."

The BJP chief's response came after the Congress Working Committee on Wednesday (August 19) decided to abide by the 1937 resolution of its highest decision-making body on Vande Mataram, saying only two stanzas of the National Song would be sung at all party events henceforth.

"The Congress has now formalised its insult (to Vande Mataram) into a resolution. Its working committee has decided that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at Congress forums," Nabin said.

In a veiled reference to a row over the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram during the Independence Day event at the Congress office on August 15, Mr. Nabin said the same insult to the national song was reflected in an "individual's conduct" a few days ago. Still, the Congress dismissed it as a "coincidence".

"Today, that very insult has become the Congress's policy," the BJP said, adding, "This is not merely a political defence, but proof of the hunger for that vote bank at the altar of which the Congress has repeatedly mortgaged the nation's self-respect."

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.