{
  "id": 6449592,
  "title": "National Conference, Congress exchange barbs after Omar, Farooq stand for full version of Vande Mataram",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/national-conference-congress-exchange-barbs-after-omar-farooq-stand",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T17:51:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/national-conference-congress-exchangebarbs-after-omar-farooq-stand-for-full-version-of-vande-mataram/article71448175.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The full version of Vande Mataram sits uneasily with the syncretic and pluralist ethos that our freedom fighters envisioned, the Congress general secretary said",
  "key_points": [
    "NC and Congress exchange criticisms over Vande Mataram full version at IFFJK inauguration",
    "Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra questions NC's decision, citing historical figures' views",
    "NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar clarifies constitutional obligation to sing full version"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Congress appeals to allies to stick to two stanzas of Vande Mataram",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/congress-appeals-to-allies-to-stick-to-two-stanzas-of-vande-mataram",
        "published": "2026-09-09T07:45:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Congress calls out Abdullahs afer full version of Vande Mataram played",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/congress-calls-out-abdullahs-afer-full-version-of-vande-mataram-played",
        "published": "2026-09-09T09:00:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "BJP asks Gujarat Congress MLA to apologise for sitting during Vande Mataram",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/bjp-asks-gujarat-congress-mla-to-apologise-for-sitting-during-vande",
        "published": "2026-09-09T15:17:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Gujarat Congress ‘divided’ as MLA sparks Vande Mataram row",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/gujarat-congress-divided-as-mla-sparks-vande-mataram-row",
        "published": "2026-09-10T00:32:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}