Baghel challenges Sai over Vande Mataram

Raipur | Correspondent: The political row over the rendition of Vande Mataram in the Kerala Legislative Assembly has spilled over into Chhattisgarh, triggering a fresh war of words between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday challenged Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to sing the complete Vande Mataram without reading from a script, alleging that BJP leaders themselves do not sing the national song at their programmes.

Addressing reporters in Raipur, Baghel said that both the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, and the National Song, Vande Mataram, are sung with full respect at Congress events.

“Debates over Vande Mataram have been taking place in Parliament for a long time. Vishnu Deo Sai should first ask his own ministers to sing Vande Mataram. I challenge him to sing the entire song aloud without looking at a script,” Baghel said.

The Congress leader's remarks came in response to comments made earlier by Sai over the controversy in the Kerala Assembly.

On Friday, Sai had criticised those who, according to him, insult Vande Mataram, refrain from raising slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, or question the existence of Lord Ram. He said the people of the country would never accept such actions and added that the consequences were visible to everyone.

The controversy originated in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, where proceedings recently began with Vande Mataram for the first time. However, only the introductory portion of the song was played by a police band in an instrumental format, drawing objections from Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar over the completeness and manner of the rendition.

With both the BJP and Congress now trading barbs over the issue, the Kerala controversy has added another flashpoint to Chhattisgarh's political landscape.