BJP Condemns Congress Decision on Vande Mataram, Announces Nationwide Campaign

The resolution was passed at a meeting of the BJP's new office-bearers in New Delhi. BJP president Nitin Nabin presided over the meeting and later shared the resolution on X.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today, August 22, 2026, passed an important resolution regarding the respect for Vande Mataram and the protection of its historical legacy," Nabin said.

The BJP "strongly condemns and unequivocally opposes" the decision of the Congress Working Committee on August 19, 2026, reaffirming its 1937 resolution to limit the singing of Vande Mataram to only the first two verses at Congress functions, Nabin said.

The BJP will oppose any attempt to subject the national song to "communal pressure, political appeasement or narrow vote-bank politics", he said.

"No compromise on the honour, legacy of Vande Mataram will be accepted for political convenience or appeasement," Nabin added.

Nabin said the BJP would launch a campaign to spread the history, meaning, national significance and glorious heritage of Vande Mataram to every corner of India.

"BJP will protect the honour, dignity, heritage and national character of the Purna Vande Mataram," he said.

The BJP will also disseminate Mahatma Gandhi's statement in which he described Vande Mataram as an "anti-imperialist slogan" associated with the "purest national sentiment".

The ruling party also resolved to launch an awareness campaign, especially among the younger generation, to ensure that the complete national song, comprising six verses, and its history are not forgotten. Nabin said the campaign would help future generations understand the memories of India's independence associated with Vande Mataram.

The resolution marks the BJP's formal opposition to the Congress Working Committee's August 19 decision and its commitment to promoting what the party described as the complete historical and national legacy of Vande Mataram.