Congress president and Chief of Opposition within the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and actor Prakash Raj share a lighter second throughout an occasion in Kalaburagi, the place the Kannada model of a commemorative quantity on Mr. Kharge was launched on August 22, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: ARUN KULKARNI
Responding to the BJP’s resolution passed on Saturday (August 22, 2026) condemning the Congress Working Committee’s determination to re-adopt its 1937 decision restricting the singing of “Vande Mataram” to its first two stanzas at Congress programmes, Congress president and Chief of Opposition within the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge requested why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and different BJP leaders had not sung the complete model of the track all these years and why the problem had instantly develop into essential.
“Mr. Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat for 13-and-a-half years. He has accomplished 12 years as Prime Minister of India. Why didn’t he sing the complete model of the track all these years? Why didn’t the BJP Chief Ministers in different States sing the complete model?” he requested.
Ploy to polarise individuals
Addressing a public assembly at Kalaburagi, the place the Kannada model of a commemorative quantity on him was launched, Mr. Kharge reiterated his get together’s place on the problem and stated neither he nor the Congress wanted classes in patriotism from those that, in line with him, had “served the British” whereas the Congress was combating for the nation’s independence.
“In spite of everything nationwide leaders, together with Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhbhai Patel and even Rabindranath Tagore, had agreed, it was lastly determined within the Congress Working Committee to sing solely two of the six stanzas of Vande Mataram and one of many 5 stanzas of Jana Gana Mana. That’s what has been adopted for the final 90 years. Even Mr. Modi sang them [in accordance with the Congress decision],” Mr. Kharge stated.
He accused the BJP of elevating the problem on the behest of the RSS to polarise individuals and consolidate votes. He cautioned that altering the nationwide anthem or nationwide track each time governments modified on the Centre would undermine respect for the patriotic songs.
“Now you have got provide you with a brand new time period, ‘Dimaagi Naxal’, to put a terrorist label on intellectuals. Should you proceed to do that, the youth of this nation, who’ve risen now, will chase and beat you,” he stated.
Attacking the BJP for equating the Congress with the Muslim League, Mr. Kharge stated the Jan Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP, had allied with the Muslim League and contested elections in Punjab, Bengal and different provinces.
‘Purification’ ritual
Recalling the “purification” ritual allegedly conducted by BJP activists at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, on August 10 after he addressed a public assembly there, Mr. Kharge stated the ritual was seemingly meant to generate publicity, mobilise Hindutva forces and consolidate votes. “No ritual can change me or my ideology, which is predicated on Ambedkar’s considered equality, Nehru’s scientific outlook and secularism,” he asserted.
Printed – August 22, 2026 06:03 pm IST
