New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday hit out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor over his remarks on Vande Mataram, alleging that the party has once again "capitulated" to the Muslim League, an ally of the ruling coalition in Kerala.
The party's allegation came after Tharoor questioned the need to play all five verses of Vande Mataram at the beginning and end of official functions, describing the practice as an "unnecessary imposition."
Reacting to the remarks, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress has shown disrespect towards national honour by opposing the full rendition of Vande Mataram.
Read more: 'Restraint is strength': Shashi Tharoor backs India's cautious stance on West Asia crisis
"Once again, the Congress party has shown that it is against national honour. It has opposed the full rendition of Vande Mataram. Shashi Tharoor says it is an unnecessary imposition to sing all the stanzas. Vande Mataram in its full version has six stanzas, and yet you are calling it an unnecessary imposition," Poonawalla said in a video post on X.
He alleged that the Congress displayed the same mindset that had led to the national song being restricted to two stanzas in the past.
"This reflects the same mindset with which (Jawaharlal) Nehru reduced Vande Mataram to two stanzas. Even when it was limited to two stanzas, Congress leaders faced opposition. Arif Masood, Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi and other leaders said that even those two stanzas were not acceptable," he said.
Poonawalla alleged that the Congress even in the past yielded to pressure from sections opposed to the song and was continuing to do so because of its association with the Muslim League in Kerala.
"Mr Nehru did it under pressure from Jinnah. At that time, he capitulated by saying that Muslims would be irritated. Today, Congress is once again capitulating under pressure from the Muslim League mindset. The same Muslim League is now in government with them," he said.
