BJP accuses Sonia Gandhi of halting Vande Mataram, Congress says she was asking for a chair

A political dispute surfaced after the Congress held its Independence Day ceremony in New Delhi, where the BJP posted footage suggesting Sonia Gandhi interrupted the full performance of Vande Mataram. BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal described the episode as shameful and accused the Congress of contempt for the national song. The Congress party, through General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, refuted the claim, stating the entire anthem was performed and that Gandhi was simply asking for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been standing for a long time.

Ramesh also reminded listeners of the party's long-standing tradition of singing the song, citing a 1937 Congress Working Committee meeting. Another BJP spokesperson, R P Singh, questioned Gandhi's alleged hostility toward the anthem. The controversy follows the recent passage of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which elevates Vande Mataram to the same status as the national anthem.