Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the country wouldn’t have been partitioned had the Congress Party not divided national song Vande Mataram for the politics of “appeasement”. He said Vande Mataram failed to get its due credit as the country was facing an emergency when the national song completed 100 years.
"When Vande Mataram was limited after it completed 50 years, that is when appeasement started. That appeasement led to the partition of the country. Had the Congress not divided Vande Mataram for appeasement, the country would not have been divided into two... When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, an Emergency was imposed. There was no scope for the glorification of the national song. Indira Gandhi imprisoned those who propagated and raised the slogan of Vande Mataram,” he said.
Gandhi family members missing during discussion, says Shah
Home Minister Shah said both members of the Gandhi family were absent from the house when discussions were being held on Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday.
“When discussions were held in the Lok Sabha yesterday, both members of the Gandhi family were absent from the House. Right from Jawaharlal Nehru to the current leadership, Congress continues to oppose Vande Mataram," he said.
Nehru reduced Vande Mataram to two stanzas, says Shah
The Home Minister said former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reduced Vande Mataram to two stanzas on its golden jubilee. On Opposition MPs' remark that the BJP was diverting from real issues by discussing Vande Mataram in Parliament, Shah said the government was ready to have discussion on any issue but the Opposition should first stop boycotting the discussions.
“They also need to know that avoiding discussions on Vande Mataram is not new... India was not independent when Vande Mataram completed 50 years. When the golden jubilee of Vande Mataram was due, Jawaharlal Nehru limited the national song to two stanzas," Shah said.
"Congress MPs are questioning the need for having discussions on Vande Mataram and calling it a political strategy and a way of diverting from the issues. Nobody is scared of discussions on issues. We are not the ones boycotting the Parliament. If they want to discuss, they need to stop boycotting, and all discussions will take place. We are not scared of or trying to hide anything. We are ready for debate on any issue,” he added.
