PM Modi Says Nehru 'Investigated' Vande Mataram After Jinnah's Opposition, Slams Congress In Parliament

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed Congress during the Lok Sabha debate on Vande Mataram saying Jawaharlal Nehru "investigated" the national song after Jinnah’s opposition in 1937.

"The politics of the Muslim League opposing Vande Mataram took pace in 1937. Mohammed Ali Jinnah raised slogans against it. The then Congress chief Jawaharlal Nehru, instead of condemning their statements and expressing his and the party’s fidelity towards Vande Mataram, started 'investigating' Vande Mataram just five days after Jinnah’s opposition," PM Modi said while addressing the Lok Sabha on the occasion of Vande Mataram completing 150 years.

"Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to Subhash Chandra Bose after Jinnah’s opposition to Vande Mataram, stating that he had read the background of Vande Mataram and thought it might provoke and irritate Muslims. He added that they would examine the use of Vande Mataram, and that too in Bankim Chandra’s Bengal,” he added.

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Reflecting on the historical context, PM Modi said that the Constitution was "choked" at the 100th anniversary of Vande Mataram, which coincided with the Emergency. He recalled how lakhs of Indians chanted the slogan and fought for independence, underscoring its significance in uniting the nation.

Recalling the 50 years of the national song when India was under British rule, PM Modi said that 150 years of Vande Mataram is an opportunity to reinstate that pride and that great part of our past.

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"When Vande Mataram completed 50 years, India was under British rule. When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, India was in the clutches of Emergency... At that time, the patriots were imprisoned. When the song that inspired our freedom movement, unfortunately, India was witnessing a black period. 150 years of Vande Mataram is an opportunity to reinstate that pride and that great part of our past... This song inspired us to attain freedom in 1947," he added.

Slamming the opposition party for not being part of the discussion, PM Modi said that this is now the time to "unite the nation from North to South and from East to West".

(With Agency Inputs)