GOA — Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp verbal assault against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, taking aim at the senior BJP leader’s age and political experience after Shah accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of disrespecting the national song.
Addressing a large public gathering in Goa, the 84-year-old Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha dismissed the Home Minister’s accusations, framing the attack as a reflection of political desperation:
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Age & Experience Jab: “When I first became an MLA, Amit Shah was a child, and today he’s teaching us patriotism,” Kharge stated, pointing out the gap between his decade-spanning political career and that of the 61-year-old Home Minister.
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Patriotism & Freedom Legacy: Kharge openly questioned the ideological lineage of the ruling party, asking what contribution the BJP or the RSS made during India’s struggle for independence.
Clarifying the Vande Mataram Incident
The latest political flashpoint began when Amit Shah alleged that Sonia Gandhi ordered Vande Mataram to be cut short during the 80th Independence Day ceremony at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters.
Refuting the charges, the Congress party provided context behind the video clip and highlighted historical precedents:
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Contextual Misinterpretation: The party explained that Sonia Gandhi was simply requesting a seat for Kharge during the proceedings, not stopping the song.
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Tagore Precedent: Congress clarified that the performance was completed in full, reminding critics that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had originally advised using the first two stanzas for public functions—a standard adopted by Congress in 1937.
The row comes in a landmark year marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, shortly after the national song was performed in its entirety during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Red Fort address and granted equal legal status with the National Anthem.
Havan Ritual in Uttarakhand Sparks Outrage
Kharge also raised a recent controversy in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, where a right-wing outfit named ‘Shri Ram Sena’ conducted a shuddhikaran (purification) havan at a public ground two days after Kharge delivered a speech there.
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Dalit Identity & Response: Directing his focus at the ritual, Kharge, who is a prominent Dalit leader, condemned the act: “Purify yourselves, after all, you are the biggest sinners; you are the ones who need purification first.”
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Government Response: In the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister JP Nadda distanced the BJP from the Haldwani incident, calling it unfortunate, clarifying that party members were not involved, and committing to an official investigation.
Concluding his address, Kharge reaffirmed his intent to continue touring the nation, pledging to challenge the BJP’s narrative on nationalism and counter religious polarization ahead of upcoming political battles.
