A disagreement has emerged within the INDIA bloc over the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hitting back at Congress criticism.
The controversy followed a Monday event at the Jammu and Kashmir Film Festival in Srinagar, where the complete three-minute-10-second version of Vande Mataram was sung in the presence of Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah. Senior National Conference leaders stood during the performance as a mark of respect, although they did not sing along.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal subsequently criticised the alliance partner, urging it to follow the shorter version of the song and remain aligned with Congress. Venugopal argued that the complete version did not fit the pluralistic and inclusive ideals associated with India’s freedom movement, and referred to the historical decision to adopt a shorter version as the national song.
Omar Abdullah responded that the event was official and that his government was required to follow laws passed by Parliament. He said laws enacted by Parliament apply across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, and questioned whether Congress wanted Kashmiris to face imprisonment over the issue.
Abdullah also clarified that the National Conference, as a political party, has never supported singing the full version of Vande Mataram. However, he maintained that his party was unwilling to risk imprisonment over what he described as a relatively minor issue.
The dispute highlights growing differences between two INDIA bloc allies over national symbols and political interpretation.
