{
  "id": 1320509,
  "title": "Congress rejects Shah’s Vande Mataram charge, calls it a ‘political diversion’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/congress-rejects-shahs-vande-mataram-charge-calls-it-a-political",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T17:38:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/congress-rejects-shahs-vande-mataram-charge-calls-it-a-political-diversion/article71353192.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Congress has rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's accusation that the party disrespected the National Song Vande Mataram during Independence Day celebrations, calling it a \"political diversion.\" Shah alleged that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had asked President Mallikarjun Kharge to stop the song mid-performance, but Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal dismissed the claim, stating that the controversy stemmed from a communication issue and that the party has always respected Vande Mataram. The BJP has continued to press the issue, filing complaints against Gandhi in Karnataka and New Delhi.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Complaints filed against Sonia Gandhi in Delhi, Karnataka over 'Vande Mataram' row at Congress headquarters",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/complaints-filed-against-sonia-gandhi-in-delhi-karnataka-over-vande",
        "published": "2026-08-16T15:07:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Complaint seeks probe into alleged disruption of Vande Mataram at Thrissur Corporation in Kerala",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/complaint-seeks-probe-into-alleged-disruption-of-vande-mataram-at",
        "published": "2026-08-16T15:09:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}