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Uttar Pradesh Women Commission Vice Chairperson Aparna Yadav on Tuesday criticised the Congress party over the ongoing controversy surrounding Vande Mataram, alleging that disrespecting the national song has been a tendency of the party.
Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "Disrespecting Vande Mataram is a tendency of the Congress. From India, India's culture, and the way they opposed Lord Shri Ram, now they are opposing Vande Mataram as well. This is very wrong." The controversy erupted after a video from the Congress headquarters showed party president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader Sonia Gandhi engaged in conversation while Vande Mataram was being rendered during Independence Day celebrations on August 15. The BJP subsequently accused the Congress leadership of disrespecting the national song and demanded an apology. Earlier on Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge defended the party's position, saying he sang the same version of Vande Mataram that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had sung. Kharge said that if singing that version was considered a crime, the government should register an FIR against the late national leaders as well. Meanwhile, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat criticised the opposition over the controversy and said the clarification issued by the Congress came after it realised that its conduct was wrong. "The clarification given by the opposition is because they have realised that they were wrong. I do accept that such a controversy happening in the democratic India is certainly unfortunate, condemnable and unacceptable," Shekhawat said. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also slammed the Congress party over the alleged "insult" to the national song, questioned the party's mindset and asked it to stop claiming a "monopoly" over India's freedom movement. "We felt compelled to address the embarrassing incident that occurred at the Congress headquarters on August 15th. Initially, it appeared as though Sonia ji was protesting against the singing of the full Vande Mataram; later, her intellectually gifted media head claimed that a chair was simply being sought for Kharge-sahab. That was absolute nonsense," Prasad said. (ANI)
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