Congress Accuses PM Modi of Distorting History Amid ‘Vande Mataram’ Controversy

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing debate over the national song Vande Mataram, the Congress party on Friday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him and the BJP government of attempting to distort India’s history. The party claimed that the government deliberately omitted certain facts during the debate on Vande Mataram, and in the process, misrepresented the history of the national anthem, impacting the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore.

Allegations Against PM Modi
Congress General Secretary and Communications In-Charge Jairam Ramesh posted on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing the ruling party and the Prime Minister. He alleged that during a recent parliamentary discussion on the national song, the government misrepresented historical facts, undermining Tagore’s reputation. Ramesh further accused the Prime Minister of systematically eroding memories and legacies associated with Mahatma Gandhi. The attack coincided with the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Netaji’s Role Overlooked
Ramesh highlighted that in 1937, Netaji had played a key role in resolving controversies regarding the later verses of Vande Mataram. However, he alleged that the Prime Minister deliberately chose to conceal this fact. Congress spokespersons also pointed out that historian and Netaji’s great-grandson Sugata Bose had documented in his book that on November 2, 1942, in Berlin, Netaji officially adopted Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem.

Claims Regarding Mahatma Gandhi’s Legacy
According to Ramesh, while Netaji adopted the slogan Jai Hind for the Azad Hind government, the Prime Minister and BJP rarely use it. He also noted that it was Netaji who first referred to Mahatma Gandhi as the ‘Father of the Nation,’ yet the Prime Minister has, according to Congress, systematically overlooked or erased such historical associations, citing examples such as the implementation of MGNREGA.

‘India’s Biggest Historian-Distorter’
Concluding his post, Jairam Ramesh wrote, “The Prime Minister is India’s biggest historian-distorter (referred to as ‘Distorian’ in English). Perhaps this is the only subject studied in the entire field of political science.” Alongside his post, he shared a photograph of Sugata Bose’s book The Nation as Mother and Other Visions of Nationhood.