‘Should not have played to BJP’s strength’: Congress unease over ‘Vande Mataram’ stand

A day following the Congress Working Committee's (CWC) reaffirmation that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at party events, there is a growing sentiment of unease within certain factions of the party. They argue that the leadership should have approached the matter with greater caution. Renowned lawyer and Congress Legal Wing head, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, shared his legal opinion with The Indian Express, interpreting the current law "as it stands today."

However, he drew a line between public and private functions, aligning with the party's decision. This stance came shortly after Vande Mataram was played in full during Independence Day celebrations in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Jharkhand, alongside Jharkhand, where the party operates as a junior ally in the JMM-led government. Conversely, the Congress-led government in Kerala chose not to sing the national song at all.