PM Modi Leads 10-Hour Vande Mataram Debate in Parliament
PM Modi Leads 10-Hour Vande Mataram Debate in Parliament
Parliament marks 150 years of Vande Mataram as PM Modi leads a landmark debate; critics accuse the ruling party of using history to divert attention from current issues.
In the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lead a landmark 10-hour debate as India marks 150 years of Vande Mataram, the national song. He is expected to highlight lesser-known historical facts, including his charge that Congress altered key stanzas in 1937 verses honouring Goddess Durga. Modi argues the change was unjust and that restoring the original wording reinforces national pride and unity.
Opposition leaders, led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, frame the debate as a political move with two main aims: the upcoming elections in West Bengal and what they call fresh attempts to level accusations against freedom fighters to distract from real issues. The Congress has lined up Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi to counter the charges on the floor, emphasizing public welfare and policy over symbolic quarrels.
PM Modi has also asserted that Vande Mataram energised the freedom movement, a mantra that united the nation during difficult times. He notes milestones when the song stood strong through 50 years of British rule and again at 100 years during the Emergency, inviting the house to view the 150-year anniversary as a moment to reinstate pride in the anthem.
As the session unfolds, observers say the exchange tests how history and memory influence contemporary politics and whether this debate translates into tangible policy or remains a symbolic sparring match.
Cover image source: PM Modi to initiate Vande Mataram debate in Lok Sabha: What is it all about 🔗
