‘Want Kashmiris in jail?’: Omar Abdullah hits back at Congress over Vande Mataram advice

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of Jammu and Kashmir has questioned whether the opposition Congress party wants Kashmiris to face legal consequences for not singing the full version of Vande Mataram. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar declared the full rendition of the national anthem as a "statutory obligation," urging the Congress to have intervened in Parliament to prevent the law from being enacted.

He reiterated that the legal requirement applies not only to Jammu and Kashmir but to the entire country, including government functions in states governed by the Congress. This stance came in response to the Congress and National Conference party's disagreement over the full rendition of Vande Mataram at the inaugural ceremony of the first International Film Festival in J&K.

While Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal urged the NC alliance partner to "honour the wisdom and judgement of our freedom fighters" and limit the song to the first two stanzas, the NC legislature and Omar's aides vehemently opposed the advice. Omar demanded that the Congress, if it comes to power, abolish the law mandating the full rendition of Vande Mataram, stating that his party never endorsed the anthem and has no intention of doing so in the future.