Shimla: Himachal Pradesh BJP president Dr Rajeev Bindal has strongly criticised the Congress over its stand on the full rendition of Vande Mataram in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, alleging that the party’s position was an insult to the sentiments of freedom fighters and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for India’s independence.
Bindal said Vande Mataram was not merely a song but a powerful source of inspiration and a rallying cry during India’s freedom struggle. He said countless revolutionaries and freedom fighters faced British rule with the slogan on their lips and made the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
He questioned why the Congress was opposing the complete rendition of the song, saying those who had embraced the gallows while chanting Vande Mataram deserved respect in independent India.
Accusing the Congress of pursuing vote-bank and appeasement politics, Bindal alleged that the party was compromising on matters of national pride for political interests.
“National unity, integrity and pride cannot be decided on the basis of political convenience or vote-bank considerations,” he said.
The BJP leader said Vande Mataram was not the property of any political party but an expression of reverence and respect for the motherland. He said there should be no politics over the honour of the song in a democratic institution such as the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.
Bindal urged the Congress to reconsider its stand, respect the sentiments of freedom fighters and the people of the country, and apologise for opposing the full rendition of Vande Mataram.
