New Delhi- The year-long commemoration of“Vande Mataram” kickstarted on Friday with various leaders emphasising how this 'maha mantra' of nation building continues to symbolise the emotional consciousness and unity of the country's people even as the BJP and the Congress accused each other of belittling the national song.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a programme at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here marking the formal launch of the nationwide commemoration. He also released a commemorative stamp and coin on the occasion.

Mass recital programmes were held in several parts of the country while many schools organised special events, engaging students in the celebrations.

The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji on the occasion of Akshaya Navami, which fell on November 7 in 1875. The song first appeared in the literary journal“Bangadarshan” as part of Chatterji's novel“Anandamath”.

The day also saw the BJP accusing the Congress of adopting a truncated version of“Vande Mataram” in 1937 under the presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru. It alleged that the Congress, pandering to its“communal agenda”, removed the stanzas from the national song which hailed Goddess Durga.

Prime Minister Modi, in his remarks at the event, also attacked the Congress, alleging important stanzas of the national song“Vande Mataram” were dropped which sowed the seeds of partition and asserted that such a“divisive mindset” is still a challenge for the country.

“Vande Mataram became the voice of India's freedom struggle, it expressed the feelings of every Indian. Unfortunately, in 1937, important stanzas of Vande Mataram...a part of its soul, were separated. The division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of partition. Today's generation needs to know why this injustice was done with this 'maha mantra' of nation building..this divisive mindset is still a challenge for the country,” he said.

The Congress hit back at Modi saying that Rabindranath Tagore himself suggested that the first two stanzas of the song be adopted and it was“shameful” of the prime minister to accuse the Nobel laureate of harbouring a divisive ideology.

It also demanded an apology from Modi over his statement.

The Congress claimed it has been the proud flagbearer of“Vande Mataram” whereas the BJP and the RSS“avoided” the national song despite its universal reverence.

In his speech, Modi also said as the country marks 150 years of“Vande Mataram”, it gives us new inspiration and fills people of the country with new energy.

“Vande Mataram is a word, a mantra, an energy, a dream, a resolve. It is the devotion to Mother India, the worship of Mother India. It connects us to our history and gives our future new courage. There is no resolve that cannot be achieved, no goal that we Indians cannot accomplish. We have to build a nation which is at the top on the basis of knowledge, science and technology,” he said.

Noting that“Vande Mataram” is relevant in every era, the prime minister, in an apparent reference to Operation Sindoor, said,“When the enemy dared to attack our security and honour using terrorism, the world saw that India knows how to take the form of Durga.”

Earlier, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan, in a post on X, charged,“The Congress committed the historic sin and blunder of linking the song with religion. Congress under Nehru citing religious grounds deliberately removed stanzas of Vande Mataram which hailed Goddess Ma Durga.”

The Congress claimed the party has been the proud flagbearer of“Vande Mataram” saying it awakened the collective soul of the nation and became the rallying cry for freedom, whereas the BJP and the RSS“avoided” the national song despite its universal reverence.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the RSS and the BJP, which claim to be self-proclaimed guardians of nationalism, never sung“Vande Mataram” or the national anthem“Jana Gana Mana” in their shakhas or offices.

“It was during the 1896 session of the Congress in Calcutta, under the leadership of the then Congress President Rahmatullah Sayani that 'Vande Mataram' was sung publicly for the first time by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

“That moment infused new life into the freedom struggle. The Congress understood that the British Empire's policy of divide and rule, manipulating religious, caste and regional identities, was designed to break India's unity. Against this, 'Vande Mataram' rose as a song of unflinching strength, uniting all Indians in devotion to Bharat Mata,” he said.

The Congress chief said Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, said in 1938 that“for more than 30 years now, the song is related directly to Indian nationalism. Such 'songs of people' are not tailor-made neither can they be imposed on the minds of people. They attain the heights by themselves”.

In a post on X, President Droupadi Murmu appealed to the people to“take this firm resolve that we will keep Mother India endowed with 'Sujala' (good water), 'sufala' (good or fine fruit) and 'sukhda' (bestowed with happiness), in accordance with the spirit of this song”.

She also recounted how Vande Mataram has been a source of inspiration.

This“song of reverence to Mother India has remained a proclamation of the emotional consciousness and unity of our countrymen, and it will continue to be so”, she wrote.

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