The Vande Mataram debate in Parliament has intensified as Congress prepares senior MPs to challenge the government’s position. The House of Commons prepared for a very high-stakes debate on Vande Mataram on Monday afternoon, with all parties elected to deliver their comments and exchange pointed rebuttals with government members. Prime Minister Modi will officially open the debate. Given this situation, members of the Opposition are preparing counterarguments via senior members of Parliament. The Congress Party selected seasoned MPs for their strategic interventions. It is expected that there will be major political ramifications as a result of this debate.
According to sources within the Congress Party, Gaurav Gogoi will be the lead speaker on this issue, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also take part, along with other senior Congress members. In addition to Gogoi, Hooda, and Akoijam, the Congress Party has chosen Shinde and Padole, as well as Reddy and Mahant, as contributors to the debate. At 12:00 PM, Modi is expected to address the government’s stance on this issue, and subsequently, the Defence Minister Singh will follow suit in his address. Additionally, the BJP is expected to have structured intervention time on the floor of the House during this 10-hour period. The Rajya Sabha will hold a similar debate on this issue on Tuesday with Home Minister Shah presiding over the proceedings. Because of the high stakes involved, Parliamentary coordinators are working to establish a tighter schedule.
Congress challenges government narrative as historical dispute resurfaces
The Congress party claimed that Vande Mataram has been “insulted” by the Prime Minister, stating that Tagore documented his opinion on the use of Vande Mataram; therefore, Congress indicated that only the first two verses of Vande Mataram should be used as per Tagore’s recommendation. Congress stated that the BJP’s allegation is historically misleading. Jairam Ramesh posted excerpts that explain the Congress party’s Resolution of February 1937 and referenced Tagore’s letter, which helped shape many decisions at that time.
Scholars believe that only the first two verses of Vande Mataram should be used because Tagore did not personally approve of the sentiments expressed in other verses. Because of these reasons, Congress has dismissed claims that Vande Mataram is a source of divisiveness as politically motivated. The Congress party has taken the position of defending the historical accuracy of Vande Mataram and of being a supporter of the great Constitutional authority that Tagore represented.
Political stakes rise as Vande Mataram debate enters decisive phase
BJP used a strategic ideological framing, which resulted in Congress using a counterideological framing as well. In addition, the BJP expected Congress to have detailed responses to what the BJP reported as a government narrative and for Congress to have an immediate emotional connection with the audience. Therefore, Congress and the BJP developed a high level of sharpened messaging in preparation for this debate and anticipated considerable visibility on the national level resulting from this debate.
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