Only Two Stanzas of Vande Mataram… CWC’s Key Decision

A intense debate over Vande Mataram has been ongoing across the country for a few days, particularly between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. On the occasion of Independence Day, severe criticism emerged alleging that top Congress leader Sonia Gandhi asked to stop playing the full version of Vande Mataram at the Congress party headquarters in Delhi. Although Congress countered this by stating that the BJP was playing politics over the issue, the matter gained significant public traction.

Against this backdrop, a meeting of the CWC (Congress Working Committee), the highest decision-making body of the Congress party, took place in Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting at Indira Bhavan lasted for about four hours. A total of 88 leaders attended, including top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress President Kharge.

During this meeting, the CWC took a major decision regarding Vande Mataram. It was decided that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram should be sung at party events. The party stated that this decision aligns with the resolution passed in the 1937 CWC meeting, which must be followed. Freedom movement leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, and Subhash Chandra Bose participated in that historical meeting, where it was decided to sing only the first two stanzas at national gatherings. Congress further remarked that Vande Mataram is an emotional topic for Congress, whereas it is merely a political issue for the BJP.