Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, 9 December, dismissed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s charge that the ongoing Vande Mataram debate was politically timed ahead of the Bengal elections. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah accused Priyanka Gandhi of “diminishing” the importance of the national song.
Responding to her remarks and accusing the Congress MP of attempting to create a political narrative where none existed, Amit Shah said, “Some people want to diminish the importance of ‘Vande Mataram’by trying to link it to Bengal elections. I think they need to reconsider their understanding.”
Amist Shah said that Congress MPs are questioning the need for discussions on Vande Mataram, calling it a political strategy and a way of diverting attention from the issues.
“Nobody is scared of discussions on issues. We are not the ones boycotting the Parliament. If they want to discuss, they need to stop boycotting, and all discussions will take place. We are not scared of or trying to hide anything,” the Union home minister said.
Furthering his attack on the Congress, Amit Shah brought up Jawaharlal Nehru and said, “When the golden jubilee of Vande Mataram was due, Jawaharlal Nehru limited the national song to two stanzas. When Vande Mataram was limited after it completed 50 years, that is when appeasement started. That appeasement led to the partition of the country.”
Shah claimed that had “Congress not divided Vande Mataram for appeasement”, the country would not have been divided into two. “When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, an Emergency was imposed. There was no scope for the glorification of the national song.”
Taking a swipe at Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Amit Shah charged that both were absent from the House, adding that the Congress has consistently opposed Vande Mataram.
“Vande Mataram ” is an immortal creation that evokes a sense of duty and dedication towards Mother India. Discussion of Vande Mataram in both Houses will help future generations understand its true importance, glory,” the home minister said, urging the MPs to inculcate the spirit of Vande Mataram among the younger generation.
Priyanka Gandhi had fired shots at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for what she claimed was spending time debating the national song while neglecting people’s real problems.
“Today, the people of the country are unhappy, distressed, and surrounded by problems, and you are not solving them,” she said, adding, “We are having this debate here today for two reasons. Firstly, the Bengal elections are approaching, and our Prime Minister wants to play his role in them. And the second reason is…that the government wants an opportunity to level new accusations against those who fought for freedom.”
Speaking of Jawaharlal Nehru, Priyanka Gandhi said the former Prime Minister was in jail for 12 years, fighting for the country’s freedom.
She continued, “You criticise him a lot, but if he had not made ISRO, then today you would not have Mangalyaan, if DRDO was not made, Tejas would not have been possible, if AIIMS was not made, then how would we have faced the big challenge of Covid… Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru lived for this country and died while serving the country.”
