📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ajay Kumar Koli
Politics
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge ridicules BJP over botched Vande Mataram chant in Assembly
✍️ India Today
🗓 22 Sep 2026, 03:37 AM
👁 9
Senior Congress figure Mallikarjun Kharge mocked BJP legislators for mispronouncing the national song Vande Mataram during a recent assembly session.
Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader of the Indian National Congress, seized the floor of a state legislative assembly to highlight a recent incident where BJP members attempted to sing the national song Vande Mataram but stumbled over its pronunciation. Kharge pointed out the awkward rendition, suggesting it reflected a lack of respect for the anthem and questioning the party's cultural sensibilities.
The episode unfolded during a routine assembly debate, when a BJP representative was asked to lead the Vande Mataram chant. The member's pronunciation errors drew audible murmurs from other legislators, prompting Kharge to interject with a pointed remark that the party could not even pronounce the song correctly.
Kharge's criticism came amid ongoing political friction between the Congress and the ruling BJP at both state and national levels. While he did not name any individual, his comments were widely reported in the media, framing the incident as a symbolic lapse in the BJP's adherence to patriotic protocols.
The BJP has not issued an official response to Kharge's remarks as of now, and the assembly proceedings continued without further incident. Observers note that such exchanges are part of the broader partisan contestation that characterises Indian legislative debates.
The incident underscores how cultural symbols like Vande Mataram continue to be leveraged in political rhetoric, especially during sessions where parties vie for moral and nationalist credibility.
The episode unfolded during a routine assembly debate, when a BJP representative was asked to lead the Vande Mataram chant. The member's pronunciation errors drew audible murmurs from other legislators, prompting Kharge to interject with a pointed remark that the party could not even pronounce the song correctly.
Kharge's criticism came amid ongoing political friction between the Congress and the ruling BJP at both state and national levels. While he did not name any individual, his comments were widely reported in the media, framing the incident as a symbolic lapse in the BJP's adherence to patriotic protocols.
The BJP has not issued an official response to Kharge's remarks as of now, and the assembly proceedings continued without further incident. Observers note that such exchanges are part of the broader partisan contestation that characterises Indian legislative debates.
The incident underscores how cultural symbols like Vande Mataram continue to be leveraged in political rhetoric, especially during sessions where parties vie for moral and nationalist credibility.