Bankim Chandra's descendant writes to Sonia Gandhi, expressing anguish over Vande Mataram 'insult'

New Delhi, August 16 - BJP MLA and direct descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sumitro Chatterjee, penned a letter to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressing deep anguish over what he deemed as an insult to Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters during Independence Day celebrations. Chatterjee, representing the Naihati Assembly constituency, demanded an unconditional apology to Indian citizens, especially those of West Bengal, for the incident involving the full recitation of the iconic composition.

He argued that while the nation commemorated the 80th anniversary of Independence, the events at the All India Congress Committee headquarters were "unfortunate and a shameless repetition of a historical mistake." Chatterjee was disturbed by Sonia Gandhi's visible discomfort and repeated attempts to halt the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram.

The BJP MLA emphasized the song's historical significance, quoting Sri Aurobindo's assertion that it initiated a nation into the religion of patriotism. He highlighted the mantra's role in inspiring revolutionaries like Khudiram Bose and its presence during key events of the freedom movement, including Sarala Devi Chaudhurani's rendition at the 1905 Banaras Congress session and Rabindranath Tagore's 1896 performance at the Indian National Congress session in Calcutta.