Congress-NC rift over Vande Mataram: The ghost of 1987 and ‘big brother’ complex

The National Conference (NC) and Congress exchanged criticisms after the NC leadership decided to sing all stanzas of the national song, Vande Mataram, at the inauguration of the International Film Festival Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) in Srinagar on September 7. Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra expressed concern over the decision, questioning the choice made by NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Karra argued that the full version of Vande Mataram contradicted the syncretic and pluralist ethos envisioned by the country's freedom fighters and was not in line with the judgments of historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, and Rajendra Prasad. Congress General Secretary K. C. Venugopal echoed these concerns, stating that the full version represented a conscious balance and was chosen to prevent the song from being used for communal purposes.

The Congress called upon the NC to honor this judgment and sing only the version adopted by the founders of the Indian Republic. NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar clarified that the NC's stance was not to favor either the first two or six stanzas, but rather that it was a constitutional obligation for all holders of constitutional office to sing the full version.

The Congress-ruled states of Karnataka and Telangana, represented by NC legislator Tanvir Sadiq, demonstrated this obligation by standing for all six stanzas during their swearing-in ceremonies. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further criticized the NC for caving to Congress and falling short in condemning key issues like the Waqf amendment Bill and EVM rigging concerns.