TNR News Network
New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Monday (December 8, 2025) launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing the party of “sidelining women-centric traditions” while speaking on the sidelines of a special Lok Sabha discussion on Vande Mataram.
Opening her remarks with praise for the national song, Ranaut said it was a “matter of pride” that the anthem, a spark that ignited the freedom movement, was finally being accorded long-overdue recognition.
Ranaut alleged that the Congress had removed stanzas from the original composition that referred to Goddess Durga, claiming this reflected the party’s “anti-women mindset”. “The song that rose as a flame of resistance and shook the British empire is now receiving its rightful honour. But the Congress government had removed the portion invoking Goddess Durga. The Congress has always been anti-women,” she told reporters outside Parliament.
BJP leaders reiterate charge of ‘deliberate omission’
Ranaut’s remarks came in the backdrop of repeated claims by BJP leaders that the Congress had altered the national song for political considerations. In November, BJP leader CR Kesavan alleged that stanzas referring to Goddess Durga were left out in 1937 under Jawaharlal Nehru’s watch to placate certain groups, arguing that only the first two stanzas were approved due to “communal calculations.”
BJP MP Arun Govil echoed the sentiment, stating that Vande Mataram had been questioned multiple times over the decades. “This is why the BJP decided everyone must be made aware of its history. It is our culture, our pride,” he said.
Opposition, allies call debate ‘positive’ amid 150th-year milestone
BJD MP Sasmit Patra described the debate as “extremely positive,” noting that it coincides with the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. He said the song resonates with the “soul and conscience” of 140 crore Indians and expressed hope that the deliberations would further strengthen “the idea of India.”
On the sixth day of the winter session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha, calling Vande Mataram a “powerful mantra” that energised India’s independence movement. “It is a matter of pride that we are witnessing 150 years of Vande Mataram. It is a historic moment,” the PM said, adding that the government’s aim was to restore the song’s original glory for future generations.
The BJP-led NDA has been allocated three hours for the discussion. Parliament has set aside a total of 10 hours for the debate across both Houses, with the Rajya Sabha scheduled to take up the matter on December 9.
