On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused “politics of appeasement” of contributing to the division of India and said the same approach led to Vande Mataram being marginalised in the decades after Independence.
Speaking during a Lok Sabha discussion marking the 150th anniversary of the national song, Singh said that independent India had intended to give both the national anthem and national song equal status. While Jana Gana Mana became deeply embedded in national culture, he argued that Vande Mataram was “treated like an extra”.
Singh said the song never received the justice or respect it deserved despite its role in inspiring freedom fighters.
He added that the government’s intention behind the debate was to restore its rightful place in national consciousness, countering claims that the discussion was politically motivated.
