‘Shameless repetition’: Bankim Chattopadhyay’s descendant seeks Sonia Gandhi’s apology over Vande Mataram row
In a letter to Gandhi, the BJP MLA said he was writing as an ordinary citizen, a patriot and a direct descendant of Bankim Chandra.
Sumitro Chatterjee, a BJP MLA and direct descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has requested an unconditional apology from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi following an alleged incident at the party's Independence Day event on August 15. Chatterjee claimed discomfort and repeated efforts to prevent the full rendition of "Vande Mataram" during the event.
He described the alleged incident as "a shameless repetition of a historical mistake". Chatterjee, in a letter to Gandhi, expressed deep pain, emptiness, and anger over the episode. A video showed Gandhi and her associate, Mallikarjun Kharge, seemingly gesturing to halt the song. The Congress denies any attempt to stop the singing, stating Gandhi only requested a chair for Kharge.
Chatterjee invoked Sri Aurobindo's description of "Vande Mataram" as a national mantra and cited its significance in India's freedom movement, highlighting various historical instances of the song being sung despite opposition. He emphasized that "Vande Mataram" is not a political party's property but a symbol of the nation's collective memory and Bankim Chandra's legacy.
Chatterjee warned that any leadership failing to respect the song would be relegated to "the darkness of oblivion". He appealed to Gandhi to introspect and apologize for the incident, which deeply hurt sentiments in West Bengal.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
