{
  "id": 1751948,
  "title": "BJP leader accuses Congress of ‘same mentality’ that decided its pact with Muslim League",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/bjp-leader-accuses-congress-of-same-mentality-that-decided-its-pact",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T16:50:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bjp-ravi-shankar-prasad-slams-congress-mallikarjun-kharge-muslim-league-vande-mataram-controversy-10839160/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress of sharing the same mentality that led to its alliance with the Muslim League. Prasad claimed that the Congress was compromising national interests for vote-bank politics and supporting naxalism. The incident at the Congress headquarters on August 15, where Sonia Gandhi opposed the recitation of the entire 'Vande Mataram,' prompted Prasad to question the mindset of the entire Congress party. He highlighted that the Congress entered into a pact with the Muslim League in 1936-37, possibly due to the latter's pressure to limit the singing of 'Vande Mataram' to two stanzas, as the remaining portions offended their religious sentiments. Prasad emphasized that Dr Rajendra Prasad, a member of the Congress and the first President of India, declared 'Vande Mataram' as the national song in the Constituent Assembly in 1950. He criticized the Congress for mocking BJP leaders for their participation in the freedom movement and accused the party of hating Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prasad condemned the Congress for going beyond opposition to the BJP and hating the Prime Minister, stating that the only remaining step for the Congress is to stand against the country.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Congress opposed reciting entire Vande Mataram at 15 August, prompting Prasad's criticism.",
    "Prasad condemns Congress for hating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and country."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "BJP leader accuses Congress of ‘same mentality’ that decided its pact with Muslim League",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/bjp-leader-accuses-congress-of-same-mentality-that-decided-its-pact-1758015",
        "published": "2026-08-18T16:50:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}