Debate over Vande Mataram 'not right', focus on public issues: Mayawati to Centre, states

BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday said the political debate over whether the complete version of Vande Mataram should be sung was "not right", and urged governments at the Centre and in the states to focus on issues affecting the public, particularly unemployment among young people.

In a post on X, Mayawati said the law recently passed by Parliament concerning the singing of Vande Mataram was not the first such change.

She said political parties often alter laws introduced by previous governments after coming to power, according to their political interests or to divert attention from their shortcomings.

"The ongoing politics in the country right now regarding whether to sing the full "Vande Mataram," or just the first two stanzas (paragraphs), or not to sing it at all-this is not right," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Focus on unemployment, student concerns

Mayawati said governments and political parties should instead turn their attention to issues of public interest, including unemployment among youth and concerns of students, Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha.

She also pointed to severe floods in parts of the country, which have resulted in loss of life and property.

"This is the most pressing need of the hour in the interest of the country and the people," she said.

BJP, Congress clash over national song

Mayawati's remarks came amid a sharp exchange between the BJP and Congress over the rendition of Vande Mataram.

The BJP has criticised the Congress for deciding to sing only two stanzas of the national song, calling the move "anti-national" and alleging that it was aimed at vote-bank politics.

The Congress has rejected the charge. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh called BJP leaders "fraudulent nationalists" and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of using the Vande Mataram issue to shift attention from concerns affecting people, including students.

Row follows Congress Working Committee decision

The latest confrontation followed the Congress Working Committee's decision on Wednesday to sing two stanzas of Vande Mataram instead of the full version at its events.

The dispute has since expanded into a wider political clash, with the two parties bringing up Partition, nationalism and history while defending their respective positions on how the national song should be rendered at political programmes.