''If there was no politics of praise over 'Vande Matram', the country would not have been divided''

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Parliament on Tuesday that if the Congress had not divided 'Vande Mataram' into two parts under the policy of appeasement, the country would not have been divided either.
He initiated a special discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the occasion of the completion of 150 years of the national song 'Vande Mataram', accusing the Congress of opposing 'Vande Mataram' from the beginning. He said that when 'Vande Mataram' completed 50 years, it was divided into two parts, and that's where the politics of appeasement started, resulting in the division of the country. He said, "I and many people believe that if there was no politics of appeasement, the country would not have been divided."
Accusing the Congress and its top leadership of opposing 'Vande Mataram', he said that during the Congress rule, singing 'Vande Mataram' in Parliament was stopped, while the Constituent Assembly had given it the status of a national song. He also said that when 'Vande Mataram' completed 100 years, emergency was imposed in the country.
The Home Minister said, "Even yesterday, when a discussion was held in the Lok Sabha on the occasion of 150 years, a woman member of the Congress said - it's not the time to discuss 'Vande Mataram' now." Some Congress members objected to this and demanded that the full statement be revealed.
Mr. Shah said that the party that divided the song, which Mahatma Gandhi considered connected to the country's soul, "did the work of fragmenting it." He alleged that in 1992, when 'Vande Mataram' was sung again in the Lok Sabha, several members of the India Alliance refused to recite it. He also said that when it's time to sing 'Vande Mataram', many Congress members leave the House, while all members of the Bharatiya Janata Party stand up to sing the song with respect.
Opposition members objected, saying they should provide evidence of who did not stand up during 'Vande Mataram'.
Highlighting the importance of 'Vande Mataram', Mr. Shah said that at that time, this slogan played a crucial role in the country's freedom, and now, in Amrit Kaal, it will work to make the country developed and great.
The Home Minister, referring to the discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that some people are linking the discussion on 'Vande Mataram' to the West Bengal elections. It is true that it was created in Bengal, and its author, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, was also born in Bengal, but this song is not limited to Bengal; it has spread from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
During the freedom struggle, when revolutionaries had secret meetings, 'Vande Mataram' was sung. Even today, when a young man makes a great sacrifice at the border, 'Vande Mataram' is on his lips.
Emphasizing the need for a discussion on the national anthem in Parliament, Mr. Shah said that this discussion will make several generations understand its importance. He rejected the opposition's allegations that the government is discussing 'Vande Mataram' to divert attention from issues. He said, "No one is afraid of discussing issues. We do not boycott Parliament proceedings. If Parliament is allowed to function, discussions can be held on all subjects." He accused the opposition of trying to avoid a discussion on 'Vande Mataram'.
He described India's national sentiment as a cultural national sentiment, saying that it is the only country in the world whose borders have been determined not by law or treaty but by culture. 'Vande Mataram' has worked to revive the concept of this cultural national sentiment.