Controversial Claims Surrounding 'Vande Mataram'

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claims that Jawaharlal Nehru divided the 'Vande Mataram' song to appease Muslims, sowing seeds of India's partition. Speaking at an event, Poonawalla criticized the Congress for alleged vote bank politics and emphasized BJP's focus on presenting 'true history.' He also remarked on Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has accused former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of dividing the 'Vande Mataram' song in an attempt to appease Muslim voters, a move he claims contributed to the seeds of India's partition.

Speaking at the 40th inaugural symposium of the Late Rambhau Mhalgi Memorial Lecture Series on Thursday night focused on 'Vande Mataram and National Resurgence', Poonawalla stated that Nehru, under political pressure in 1937, wrote to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to split the song. He argued that this division compromised national unity.

Poonawalla further attacked the Congress, alleging it continues to exploit 'Vande Mataram' for vote bank politics by dividing Indians on caste lines. He lamented that some individuals refrain from singing the national song, citing religious reasons, and took a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, dubbing it the 'Sonia Sena.'

(With inputs from agencies.)