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Questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its stance on not appreciating freedom fighters, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday weighed in on the ongoing Vande Mataram debate in Parliament and asked "who does the BJP actually appreciates if the party not appreciate Netaji, Rabindranath Tagore".
Addressing the press conference in Kolkata, Banerjee said, "I heard some people from the BJP say that they don't appreciate Netaji. You don't appreciate Netaji, Rabindranath Tagore, Raja Ramohun Roy, then who do you appreciate?" As the Lok Sabha debated Vande Mataram, Congress Deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi criticised PM Modi, alleging that the PM used Pandit Nehru's name in most of his speeches, and that it was the Congress that had given importance to Vande Mataram. "Congress supported Vande Mataram. Congress gave importance to Vande Mataram to make it the national song of India. PM Modi takes Nehru Ji's name and Congress's name in every debate. Operation Sindoor - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 14 times and Congress's name 50 times, 75th anniversary of the Constitution - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 10 times and Congress's name 26 times, President's Address in 2022 - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 15 times, President's Address in 2020 - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 20 times. I want to say with utmost humility to Narendra Modi Ji and his entire system, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to put even a single black mark on Pandit Nehru Ji's contributions," Gogoi said. "People of India are suffering, and there is no mention of it. PM Modi did not mention the Delhi blast once. We are not able to protect our citizens, neither in Delhi nor in Pahalgam. People are unable to breathe," he added. On the Sixth day of the Parliament Winter Session, PM Modi hailed 'Vande Mataram' as a "powerful mantra" and slogan that energised and "inspired India's freedom movement", saying that the "government aims to restore its glory for future generations". Addressing the Lok Sabha, PM Modi said, "Vande Mataram was not just a mantra for political independence. It was not limited to our independence; it was way beyond that. The freedom movement was a war to free our motherland from the clutches of slavery... During our Vedas, it was said, This land is my mother, and I am the son of the soil. This same idea was conveyed by Shri Ram when he gave up Lanka, Vande Mataram is a modern avatar of our great cultural legacy." The Prime Minister recalled the British divide-and-rule politics and said that they divided Bengal in 1905, but "Vande Mataram stood like a rock" at that time. (ANI)
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